Curry, Durant and James lead the United States to its 17th men’s basketball title

The United States, led by LeBron James, Kevin Durant – who became the most decorated player in the Olympics with his fourth gold – and Stephen Curry, who was his team’s top scorer in the final (24 points, all from three-pointers), lived up to expectations and won their fifth consecutive gold by defeating the host country, France (87-98) in the basketball final of the Paris 2024 Games, to reach 17 in their history in men’s basketball.

In the replay of the Tokyo 2020 final, young French star Victor Wembanyama, who led his team throughout the tournament, was content to finish as top scorer, with 26 points, in a match in which he also finished with the best rating (25). And in which France fell with pride.

LeBron equaled the three golds and one bronze won by Carmelo Anthony – until last Thursday the most decorated basketball player in Olympic history – at the Paris Games; but Durant surpassed them both by winning his fourth title.

The United States, led by the equally stellar Steve Kerr, with nine NBA championships – four as coach, the Golden State Warriors: all with Curry and two of them with Durant – arrived undefeated to the final. The opening ceremony, in homage to French classical theatre (with three blows with the baton), was officiated by Tony Parker, a legend of the San Antonio Spurs and the French national team, who recently retired his number, 9. And it was attended by, among others, the aforementioned Carmelo Anthony, Scottie Pippen, one of the members of the unrepeatable ‘Dream Team’ that amazed the world at the Barcelona ’92 Games; and Pau Gasol, the best basketball player in the history of Spain.

Review of the duel

The hosts, led by Wembanyama, but for whom Real Madrid’s Guerschon Yabusele stood out in the knockout matches, did so with a defeat: the one inflicted on them in the group stage in Lille by Germany. They took revenge on Thursday by beating them in the semi-final, after having beaten Canada’s Spaniard Jordi Fernández in the quarter-finals.

Team USA had made it to the semi-finals, but were unable to get their act together against Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic – who was again named MVP last season in the NBA, having won the previous one with the Denver Nuggets – and who are the current runners-up in the world championships, and who this Saturday, hours before the final, took their revenge: winning bronze against Germany, who had beaten them a year ago in the World Cup final in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

Serbia, led by the masterful former Barcelona coach Svetislav Pesic, was on the verge of becoming America’s nightmare, in a game in which it had a 17-point lead and ended up losing by four (95-91). The only one in which the big favourite had not surpassed the hundred-point mark.

France wanted to make a splash at the Games, supported by their fans at the Arena Bercy, who resound every time La Marseillaise is played; and led by a Wembanyama who, from the quarter-finals onwards, gave Real Madrid player Guerschon Yabusele a place in the French cockpit.

For the first time in the Games, Kerr brought out the already legendary Kevin Durant in the starting five – which had always included LeBron and Curry, the other two vertices of the American power triangle – in a game that opened with a spectacular dunk by ‘King James’ responded to by a triple by ‘Wemby’.

A three-pointer from ‘KD’ put the Americans ahead (7-8) in a first quarter of relative equality and alternation, in which a basket from Bilal Coulibaly minimized the two three-pointers from Anthony Edwards that closed the first quarter (15-20).

A powerful dunk by Coulibaly gave France a 10-4 lead and put it ahead (25-24) at the start of the second period of a match in which the Spaniard Antonio Conde was one of the three referees.

Durant finished off a brilliant play between James and Curry with a three-pointer, which was answered with a spectacular dunk by Yabusele, who was immeasurable in the final phase and, with fifteen points, the top scorer in the first half.

Booker off to a good start

Devin Booker – the American’s biggest contributor during the first 20 minutes: thirteen points, the same as Wembanyama – gave the ‘States’ the maximum advantage, ten (36-46), in the first half. Which ended with the French eight behind (41-49).

Yabusele was fighting a colossus in the paint, and although Curry’s three-point shooting (eight of twelve, at the end) increased the gap to fourteen (47-61). But the French inside game was strong and Kerr had to entrust Anthony Davis with closing duties.

After a misunderstanding between Durant and Anthony Edwards on the last possession, Nando de Colo stole the ball, scored and, instead of going ten down, France reached six (66-72), and with everything to play for, going into the final quarter.

‘KD’, who had been somewhat imprecise before, appeared to score a soothing triple (68-77). But France was looking for a miracle. And, with another basket from De Colo, a free throw from Yabusele and a dunk from ‘Wemby’, they were within three (79-82).

But when things were getting tough, Curry, who came to France to win his first gold medal, and Durant, who was the team’s second leading scorer (15 points), took home his fourth. To increase their legend. And to make American basketball even bigger.

Paris / EFE