Over 16 days of competition, the world’s best players took part in some of the most exciting basketball games, from France’s surprise victory over Canada in the round of 16 to Nikola Jokic leading Serbia to its first medal since 2016.
The superstar United States team had a dominant Olympic run on Saturday, beating France 98-87 in the final game to win its 17th gold medal.
As the 2024 Olympics draw to a close, let’s take a look at our Insiders’ thoughts on some of the biggest NBA stories in men’s basketball, including Curry’s return, Victor Wembanyama Olympic debut and surprise MVP for Team USA.
The final minutes of Team USA’s gold medal game against host France provided an all-too-familiar moment for Golden State Warriors and Curry fans everywhere. In a tight game that went into the fourth quarter, the United States’ double-digit lead was cut to just three points with three minutes left in the game.
Curry, accustomed to pressure, made four straight three-pointers, including a pull-up 3 that sealed the victory and prompted him to break out his “good night” celebration.
Curry struggled early in the Olympics, scoring just 12 points in the first four games, but he 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 played with a high sense of joy, something not seen in recent NBA seasons.
With the 2024-25 NBA season fast approaching, the Warriors can only hope that the revitalized energy of their veteran guard carries over to their franchise as they begin a new era without Klay Thompson.
Today, more than ever, the Warriors’ success rests on the shoulders of Curry and his ability to galvanize his group. — Kendra Andrews
Wemby’s Olympic dominance won’t be the last
Wembanyama’s first foray into the Olympic world didn’t end the way the 20-year-old would have liked. As he walked off the court Saturday night in Paris, Wembanyama did so with tears in his eyes: This was the most important game of his young career. A chance to bring the gold medal back 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’s Rookie of the Year. And France fell just short.
Wembanyama did all he could—he averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game—but failed to crack the dominant U.S. team. But Wembanyama’s opportunity to reach the gold medal final again will come soon enough—he’ll be 24 when the Los Angeles Olympics take place, and the young French talent will continue to grow in the NBA until then.
French coach Vincent Collet proved he was ready to do anything to win gold. Rudy GobertThe reigning defender and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was dealing with a finger injury and played just 21 minutes in France’s last three games, also due to Collet’s decision to move to a smaller team.
Will there be a France-USA trilogy in Los Angeles? Wembanyama led France in points, rebounds and assists this summer; if he continues the dominant form he showed during his rookie season, the results in four years could be different. –Andrew Lopez
Devin Booker’s role has changed
A perennial All-Star but only a two-time All-NBA selection, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker found himself on coach Steve Kerr’s team alongside MVPs Curry, Kevin Durant And LeBron James. Kerr highlighted Booker’s key role after winning gold.
“Devin was unbelievable. He completely changed roles from the NBA to now,” Kerr said. “He was kind of our unsung MVP.”
Normally a high-level scorer, Booker averaged 11.7 points per game at the Olympics, less than the U.S. reserve. Anthony Edwards. Still, Edwards’ role diminished in the medal rounds, where he played just 23 total minutes, compared to Booker’s 52. Not only was Booker Team USA’s primary perimeter defender in the gold medal game, but he also spaced the floor, shooting 13 of 23 (56.5 percent) from 3-point range.
That may not translate to the NBA, where Booker will inevitably be asked by new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer to expend more energy creating shots. But if adding a point guard Tyus Jones could move Booker to a more off-ball role after he averaged 6.3 assists per game last season, which could help Booker elevate his efficiency to the levels we saw in Paris. –Kevin Pelton
