Who does Team USA play next after narrowly ousting Serbia in semifinals?

The United States has dominated Olympic basketball for the better part of the last 50 years. The men's team has won gold in 16 of its last 19 appearances, while the women's squad is 10 for its last 10.

And yet, times are changing. International basketball has never been stronger. Many of the best players in the world, from Giannis Antetokounmpo, to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to Nikola Jokic, hail from somewhere beyond the U.S. borders. The NBA has made a concerted effort to globalize the sport, while Euroleague programs and other transatlantic basketball forums are evolving at a never-before-seen pace.

The United States brought the best collection of talent to the Olympics. That much is undeniable. The talent margin isn't quite as steep as it used to be, though, and the U.S. often lags behind in terms of cohesion. A lot of the European national teams spend years training together and competing internationally. Team USA tends to throw together the best NBA players every few years with hopes of coasting on skill and athleticism, rather than outexecuting opponents.

It has been a while since Team USA wasn't on the mountaintop, both in the men's and women's bracket. That last time a U.S. team wasn't on the top podium was all the way back in 2004, when the men's U.S. team earned a bronze medal.

The impressive stretch of dominance from the men's team almost came to an end on Thursday, when Serbia led by as many as 17 points. A raging fourth quarter comeback, led by Stephen Curry and his 36 points, allowed the U.S. to squeak into the gold medal game. We were oh so close to a special upset, but alas, Team USA marches on.

Next up? The home team.

Who does Team USA play next in Olympic men's basketball?

The U.S. men's squad will move on to battle France in the gold medal match. It's almost poetic. The incumbent gold medalists in the U.S., against the host country of France. There is even an extra special layer of bad blood after Joel Embiid spurned the French national squad to compete with Team USA. The towering big man has received a flood of boos every time he walks in the stadium in Paris.

It's a chance for Embiid to prove his mettle against an imposing frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama. If Serbia can push the U.S. to the brink, so can France. There's no Nikola Jokic on the French squad, but between Wemby, Gobert, and a spate of NBA role players and high-level Euroleague stars, France has the firepower to make Team USA sweat.

Of course, Team USA still has the matchup advantage. Embiid has torched Gobert and Wembanyama individually in the past, while the United States' wing and guard rotations are levels above the French national team. It will require a great deal of hometown fervor, hot shooting, and precision teamwork for France to have a chance at knocking off the U.S.

It feels as possible as ever, though, after that Serbia match. Team USA is vulnerable, and France has the potential for a storybook ending (with a side of revenge on Joel Embiid). So, buckle in, folks.