Stephen Curry has now completed basketball, by finally adding an Olympic gold medal to his already impressive resume. After leading Team USA to a 98-87 win over France in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Curry spoke on what it meant to him to finally win that medal.
“It’s everything I imagined and more. There’s a sense of relief at the end, but it’s more a sense of accomplishment. … Smiling, cheesing, having the best time of my life because this might not come around again.”
Curry will be 40 when the 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, so this time almost certainly won’t come again for him. He at least made his first and only appearance a memorable one, although, for quite some time, it didn’t seem like that was going to be the case.
Curry struggled in the first four games of the Olympics but was at his destructive best in the last two. The 36-year-old erupted for 36 points against Serbia in the semifinal to power an incredible 17-point comeback win.
Then against France in the final, Curry had 24 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 2 steals. The 10-time All-Star drilled four three-pointers in the final 2:47 of the contest to put the French to bed, with the last of those being a deep high-arching one while being hounded by Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr8lbxIojFM
Curry stated he impressed himself with that last shot and I don’t think there was a better way for him to cap off the night than that. He finished the tournament with averages of 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.7 steals per game.
Despite those early shooting struggles, Curry also ended up going 50.0% from the field and 47.8% from beyond the arc, which is incredible. His efforts were rewarded with a spot on the All-Star Five of the Olympics as well.
As far as impressive first Olympic appearances go, Curry probably ranks near the top. It’s just a shame that we didn’t get to see him more on this stage over the course of his career. He wasn’t selected for the team for the 2012 Olympics and decided against playing in 2016 and 2021, as he prioritized his health.
I believe Curry did make the right call on both occasions, but it meant he was only going to have one shot to win a gold medal. The two-time MVP made sure it would only take one appearance at the Olympics to get it, with his heroics in the semifinal and the final.
Stephen Curry Is Reportedly Excited To Play With The New-Look Warriors
Curry will now take a short break from basketball but his attention will soon shift toward the 2024-25 NBA season with the Golden State Warriors. A lot has changed with regard to the team this offseason, and Curry and Draymond Green are reportedly excited to play with the new-look Warriors.
“Both stars say they are excited about the moves Golden State has made so far this summer, sources said… Sources added Curry and Green are exhibiting trust that what has happened this offseason can help the team — as long as the team remains competitive.”
Curry would understandably have been disappointed about Klay Thompson’s departure to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency, but he now has some interesting new pieces around him. The Warriors have acquired De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield, and we now wait to see if they’ve done enough to add to the four championships they have won in the Curry era.
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