The Olympics are over and it ended with Team USA men’s basketball winning their fifth straight gold medal. Stephen Curry, however, has not forgotten the magic he brought to Team USA just a few weeks ago.
Stephen Curry’s Team USA Gold Medal “Hasn’t Really Sunk In”
Curry is still trying to soak it all in. After an incredible performance in the Paris 2024 Olympics, he recently told CNBC that the way Team USA won gold “still hasn’t really sunk in”. He admitted to watching his own highlights from the last couple of games. Although he expected to win gold with the incredible USA basketball roster, the fashion he dominated even took the future Hall of Famer by surprise.
“Obviously the France game… That last 3 minutes was story book stuff… But how it happened, I still watch some highlights.”
Steph Curry is still soaking in Team USA’s Olympic Gold Medal
(via @CNBC) pic.twitter.com/8aXdsMHOE3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 3, 2024
Curry didn’t start the Olympics playing well. Through the group phase and the quarterfinals, he had only scored in double-digits once and was shooting poorly from the three-point line. Through the first four games, he averaged a disappointing 7.3 points and shot below 30% from deep. For perspective, Curry’s lowest 3-point percentage of his career in the NBA is 38%. After all, he is the greatest shooter of all time.
LeBron James and Curry Getting Older
For many Curry fans, the beginning of the Olympics was a glimpse at his mortality. At 36 years old, most NBA superstars are retiring, or at the very least, taking a giant step back. For Curry, and his longtime rival LeBron James, the Olympics was an opportunity to show that the faces of the league for the last decade (or in LeBron’s case two decades), still had it.
With Curry’s slow start and LeBron’s excellent play, it seemed like the 39-year-old James had more in the tank. Once the semifinals started, everyone thinking Curry’s best years were behind him was silenced.
Curry Brings Team USA Gold
24 PTS, 6 3PM… Steph Curry was cooking all game in the #USABMNT Showcase win against Serbia
pic.twitter.com/jCSL83CJSf
— NBA (@NBA) July 17, 2024
In the semi-final match against Nikola Jokic and Team Serbia, Team USA was struggling. At one point, they were down 17 points and Team USA fans had a genuine reason for concern. Then came a classic Curry flurry. He ended the game with 36 points and nine three-pointers (the most made in a single game these past Olympics).
The gold medal match against France was a similar story. The stacked Team USA team looked like they could be beat. Then Chef Curry caught fire. Curry poured in four clutch three-pointers over the final couple minutes of the game and brought Team USA the gold medal they all expected to receive.
Team USA Performance Shows Curry Needs Help
After his Paris 2024 Olympics performance, Curry proved that he still has a lot left in the tank. The Golden State Warriors are now two championships removed from their incredible 2022 run. They’ve lost Curry’s longtime running mate Klay Thompson, and now the pressure is on for them to get some more talent to replace him. Will the Warriors take Curry’s USA basketball Olympic performance as a sign to get him some top talent? If not, Curry may have to continue enjoying his Olympic basketball highlights and get ready to carry the team alone once again.
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