After an extremely close call in the semi-finals against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and his Serbian squad during the 2024 Olympics, Team USA headed into the gold medal game against France and NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama as heavy favorites to win it all and return home victorious.
Unfortunately, France was determined to not go down as the host country without a fight, with Wembanyama and company giving the Americans all they could handle, which resulted in another tough game for the star-studded team filled with NBA talent.
During the matchup with Serbia, which is a game they should’ve lost, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry put on a show with an incredible 36-point performance, helping Team USA avoid elimination and having to settle for a bronze medal if they were able to get a medal at all.
Fortunately, Curry’s heroics carried over to the gold medal game against France, where he exploded in the fourth quarter and drained three after three while being well-defended, leading the team to victory.
Apparently, Curry’s remarkable performance didn’t go unnoticed on the international stage, as the game between the United States and France was the most-watched gold medal game since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, according to Front Office Sports.
USA Men’s Basketball’s win over France averaged 19.5 million viewers across NBC and Peacock—the most-watched gold medal game since Atlanta 1996. pic.twitter.com/0V2Ymfm2qD
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 11, 2024
With the stiff competition making the final two games interesting, to say the least, the rest of the world took notice and tuned in, as that probably wouldn’t have been the case if Team USA was dominating their opponents in the tournament.
Interestingly enough, the Olympics will be held in the United States in 2028, where Team USA will try to come out on top once again and prove the best basketball is played in North America.
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Stephen Curry’s Olympic Performance Left Kevin Durant In Awe