On August 10 team USA defeated team France to win the gold medal. This officially completed the revenge tour that LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant promised after they watched team USA fail to medal in the FIBA games last year.
Team France put up a good fight, but ultimately team USA had too much talent. Many players made key contributions to help team USA win this game.
Team USA key player one- Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry was the leading scorer for team USA in the gold medal game as he scored 24 points. He took just one shot that wasn’t a three. He shot eight of 13 from three point range so other shots simply weren’t needed for him. Curry was the biggest reason team USA was in the gold medal game. In the semifinals vs. team Serbia he came up clutch with 36 points and eight rebounds. Curry got to win yet another trophy with his coach Steve Kerr. The player-coach duo has won four NBA championships, 2015,2017,2018 and 2022 and now the 2024 olympics.
Team USA key player two- Devin Booker
Some were surprised to see Devin Booker get the start. However, with his 15 points on six of 10 shooting it became clear quickly why he got the starting nod. Beyond his scoring he also crashed the boards well for a guard, getting six rebounds. Booker’s best game of the Olympics was in the quarter final vs. team Brazil. In this game Booker scored 18 points on six of nine shooting.
Photo via FIBA basketball
Team USA key player three- Kevin Durant
Durant entered this year’s olympics being considered the best player in team USA history. He helped team USA secure gold by scoring 15 points on five of 12 shooting. He started out the group phase by scoring 23 points vs. Serbia. Durant now holds four gold medals, from 2012,2016,2020 and now this year. Durant now stands alone as the player with the most gold medals in team USA and olympic basketball history. Along with that he was also able to expand his all time lead in points at the olympics, although LeBron James was also able to close in on that record as well. However, since neither will likely compete in 2028 Durant’s record should be safe for now.
Team USA key player four- LeBron James
20 years ago LeBron James competed in the 2004 olympics. The fact he made major impacts in two olympic games 20 years apart is a testament to his untouchable longevity. In the gold medal game he scored 14 points on six of ten shooting. His best game of the Olympics was the group phase game vs. Serbia, in which he scored 21 points on nine of 13 shooting. James won his third gold medal with this win. James won the MVP of the Olympics from FIBA. He is one of three players to win it, the other two being Durant and Manu Ginolbi when he led Argentina to gold in 2004.
Team USA key player five- Anthony Davis
Throughout the Olympics, there were debates between whether Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid should start. Davis was the better player in the gold medal game as he scored eight points and got a team high nine rebounds. His best scoring output was in the quarterfinal game vs. Brazil, where he scored 13 points, and still managed to get eight rebounds. This is his second olympic gold medal. The first one he won was before he made the league in 2012.
Photo via LA sports hub
Team USA key player six- Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards was the youngest player on team USA. However, he still had the biggest impact. In the gold medal game he scored eight points on three of seven shooting. In the final group phase game vs. Puerto Rico, he scored 26 points on 11 of 19 shooting. Edwards’ defensive abilities were able to compliment Curry well. He got to avenge the FIBA world cup loss in 2023, where he was the leading scorer in a losing effort. Edwards expects to be a mainstay on team USA for a long time. If team USA is able to win after 2024 Edwards will have to be a huge part of it.
If you want to learn more about the gold medal team, read this article.
