Olympic basketball: Curry, Wemby and the biggest storylines from the summer
In 16 days of competition, the best players from around the world participated in some of the most exciting games of basketball, from France’s upset win over Canada in the knockout rounds to Nikola Jokic leading Serbia to its first medal since 2016.
Team USA’s superstar team completed a dominant Olympic run on Saturday by defeating France 98-87 in the final matchup to claim its 17th gold medal.
As the 2024 Olympics come to end, let’s take a look at our Insiders’ thoughts on some of the biggest NBA storylines from men’s basketball, including Curry’s comeback, Victor Wembanyama’s Olympic debut and Team USA’s sleeper MVP.
The final few minutes of Team USA’s gold medal game against host team France provided a moment all too familiar to Golden State Warriors and Curry fans everywhere. In a back-and-forth game that came down to the fourth quarter, the United States’ double-digit lead shrank to just three points with three minutes to go in the game.
Curry, no stranger to pressure, knocked down four straight 3s, including a signature pull-up 3 that sealed the win and prompted him to pull out his “night night” celebration.
Curry struggled early on in the Olympics, scoring only 12 points through the first four games, but showed up when it mattered most, scoring 36 points against Serbia in the semifinals and 24 on Saturday, including 12 straight to secure the gold medal.
In his first Olympics, Curry was playing with an elevated sense of joy — something that hasn’t been seen the past few NBA seasons.
With the 2024-25 NBA season right around the corner, the Warriors can only hope the revitalized energy of their veteran guard carries over to their franchise as they start a new era without Klay Thompson.
Now, more than ever, the Warriors’ success rides on the shoulders of Curry and how he can galvanize his group. — Kendra Andrews
Wemby’s dominant Olympic tournament won’t be his last
Wembanyama’s first foray into Olympic play didn’t end the way the 20-year-old wanted. As Wembanyama walked off the court on Saturday night in Paris, he did so with tears in his eyes — it was the biggest game of his young career. A chance to bring the gold medal to his home country while playing on home soil against Team USA, one of the greatest collections of talent ever assembled, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the NBA Rookie of the Year. And France came up just short.
Wembanyama did everything he could — he averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game — but could not crack the dominant U.S team. But Wembanyama’s opportunity to reach the gold medal match again will come soon enough — he will be 24 by the time the Los Angeles Olympics roll around, and the young French talent will continue to grow in the NBA until then.
France coach Vincent Collet proved he was willing to do whatever it took to get gold. Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s reigning and four-time Defensive Player of the Year, was dealing with a finger injury and played just 21 minutes in France’s final three games, also a result of Collet’s decision to move to a smaller lineup.
Will there be a France-USA trilogy in Los Angeles? Wembanyama led France in points, rebounds and assists this summer; if he continues on the dominant path he showed in his rookie season, the results in four years might be different. — Andrew Lopez
Devin Booker’s shifted role
A perennial All-Star but just a two-time All-NBA pick, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker found himself as part of coach Steve Kerr’s crunch-time lineup alongside MVPs Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Kerr highlighted Booker’s key role after winning gold.
“Devin was incredible. He completely changed his role from the NBA to now,” Kerr said. “He was kind of our unsung MVP.”
Normally a high scorer, Booker averaged 11.7 points per game in the Olympics, fewer than USA reserve Anthony Edwards. Yet Edwards’ role faded in the medal rounds, when he played just 23 combined minutes, compared to Booker’s 52. Not only did Booker serve as Team USA’s primary perimeter defender in the gold medal game, he spaced the floor by shooting 13-of-23 (56.5%) on 3s.
That might not translate to the NBA, where Booker will inevitably be asked by new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer to spend more of his energy creating shots. But if the addition of point guard Tyus Jones can move Booker to more of an off-ball role after he averaged a career-high 6.3 assists per game last season, it could help Booker lift his efficiency to the levels we saw in Paris. — Kevin Pelton
