In 16 days of competition, top players from around the world took part in some of the most exciting basketball matches, from France's surprising victory over Canada in the knockout rounds to Nikola Jokic leading Serbia to its first medal since 2016.
The superstar United States team completed a dominant Olympic run on Saturday by defeating France 98-87 in the final showdown to claim its 17th gold medal.
As the 2024 Olympics draw to a close, let's take a look at our experts' take on some of the biggest NBA storylines in men's basketball, including Curry's return, Victor Wembanyama's Olympic debut and Team USA's surprise MVP.
The final minutes of Team USA’s gold medal game against host team France provided an all-too-familiar moment for Golden State Warriors and Curry fans everywhere. In a back-and-forth game that was decided in the fourth quarter, the United States’ double-digit lead was cut to just three points with three minutes remaining in the game.
Curry, no stranger to pressure, hit four consecutive 3-pointers, including a jumper that sealed the win and prompted him to celebrate “good night.”
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 clinch the gold medal.
In his first Olympics, Curry played with a heightened sense of joy, something not seen in recent NBA seasons.
With the 2024-25 NBA season just around the corner, the Warriors can only hope that the revitalized energy of their veteran point guard carries over to their franchise as they begin a new era without Klay Thompson.
Now, more than ever, the Warriors' success depends on Curry and how he can galvanize his group. –Kendra Andrews
Wemby's dominant Olympic tournament will not be the last
Wembanyama’s first foray into the Olympics didn’t end the way the 20-year-old would have hoped. When Wembanyama walked off the court Saturday night in Paris, he did so with tears in his eyes — it was the biggest game of his young career. The chance to bring the gold medal home 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 fell short.
Wembanyama did his best (averaging 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game), but he couldn't overcome the dominant U.S. team. But Wembanyama's chance to reach the gold medal game again will come soon: He'll 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 showed he was willing to do whatever it took to get gold. Rudy Gobert, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time NBA 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 switch 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 the dominance he showed in his rookie season, the results in four years could be different. –Andrew Lopez
Devin Booker's role change
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, a perennial All-Star but two-time All-NBA selection, found himself in coach Steve Kerr's lineup in clutch moments alongside MVPs Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Kerr highlighted Booker's key role after winning gold.
“Devin was amazing. He completely changed his role in the NBA and now,” Kerr said. “He was like our unsung MVP.”
Typically a strong scorer, Booker averaged 11.7 points per game at the Olympics, fewer than U.S. reserve Anthony Edwards. However, Edwards’ role faded in the medal rounds, when he played just 23 total minutes compared to Booker’s 52. Not only was Booker the primary perimeter defender for Team USA in the gold medal game, but he spaced the floor by shooting 13-of-23 (56.5%) from 3-point range.
This may not translate to the NBA, where new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer will inevitably ask Booker to devote more energy to creating shots. But if the addition of point guard Tyus Jones can lead to Booker playing more of a role outside the arc after he averaged a career-high 6.3 assists per game last season, it could help Booker elevate his efficiency to the levels we saw in Paris. — Kevin Pelton
