The USA staggers to a 98:87 victory in the basketball final against hosts France, but then Stephen Curry puts on a great show. But the opponents have definitely caught up.
11.08.2024, 07:28
11.08.2024, 09:56
SDA
The American team in Paris was dubbed Dream Team 2.0. The US team from 1992 in Barcelona, when Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen were among the players, is regarded as the Dream Team. Back then, the Americans dominated their opponents at will. The 117:85 win over Croatia in the final was the closest victory.
This time, the USA played with top stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Nevertheless, they were put to the test. In the semi-final against Serbia (95:91), they trailed by 17 points at one point, while in the final against France (98:87), they only led 82:79 with just over three minutes to go.
"The game is now global. There is great talent all over the world," explained US head coach Steve Kerr. The pressure is also high. "I think we might be the only team in the world whose fans will be ashamed of them if they win a silver medal."
The Americans needed a Stephen Curry in top form to avoid the shame. The Golden State Warriors point guard, who like LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio, recorded no fewer than 17 successful three-pointers in the last two games, four of them in the last three minutes of the final after the French had cut the deficit to three points and brought hope back to the atmospheric Bercy Arena.
Made for big games
Curry likened the final to a decisive seventh play-off game away from home. And the veteran seems to be made for such games, as he has impressively demonstrated in the past. His three-pointer to make it 85:79 decided everything, said Curry. "And then came the rhythm, the avalanche, and luckily the other three went in as well. That was an incredible moment."
Despite already being 36 years old, Curry was taking part in the Olympic Games for the first time, so his relief after fulfilling his gold mission was correspondingly great, and he showed it. "I had the best time of my life," enthused Curry.
Kerr is also Curry's coach with the Warriors in the NBA, so he knows him very well. "This game ranks up there with the greatest games of his career. The shots were just unbelievable. But under these circumstances, away from home, in Paris, against France, in the battle for the gold medal, it's like a story out of a storybook. But that's what Steph does. He likes to be in picture books."
Challenge from Wembanyama
Nevertheless, it was not Curry who was voted MVP of the tournament, but the 39-year-old LeBron James, also known as "King James", who had managed a triple-double against Serbia in the semi-final. However, little was missing - and the USA would not have become Olympic champions for the fifth time in a row despite Dream Team 2.0. That should give the competition even more courage. In any case, 20-year-old Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who is being touted as a future NBA star and excelled in the final with 26 points, made a declaration of intent: "I'm learning - and I'm worried about my opponents in a few years' time."
