Steph Curry competed in his first Olympics with Team USA in Paris this past summer, and without Curry, the United States would not have won the gold medal.
All of the anticipation, hype, and pressure that surrounded Team USA this summer felt nearly insurmountable. With a roster that featured a plethora of talented young players and future first-ballot Hall of Famers such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry, the expectation was gold-or-bust heading to France.
Regardless of the outcome of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Steph Curry was already going to go down as a generational talent who revolutionized the game of basketball and would leave the NBA game one day with his fingerprints all over it.
Fast-forward six months later, and understanding what Curry did in the Olympics and the overall magnitude of the situation added yet another layer to his remarkable career and legacy that he will leave behind.
How the NBA's biggest superstars decided to join forces
When speaking to reporters after Team USA's victory Kevin Durant shared when he decided to participate in his fourth Olympics, and Curry in his first.
“Last summer, [LeBron James] started texting everybody, giving his input on who we all think should be on the team, and [asking] if everybody was playing," Durant said. "When we start sending those [kinds of] texts out, I kind of knew we were all going to get together and that this was a special time."
“I knew Steph was going to play," Durant said. "He had never been on an Olympic team before. He had a World Championship but wanted the Olympic medal. So it was a no-brainer, especially when those two committed, and once the team was built, I kind of knew it was going to be special.”
Steph Curry chimed in and explained why he decided to compete in his first Olympics and what drew him to that stage.
“In ’22, when we were on our way back from Boston, I made a joke [with Kerr] about how this is the only thing I hadn’t done, and pretty much softly committed there,” Curry explained. “[Then] last September, watching the World Cup and understanding that this was something I hadn’t done. I felt healthy, and able to do it, so that would be something I would want to do. Same thing ‘K’ said. The texts started flying.”
Curry, before the Olympics, was already an 11-time All-Star, four-time NBA Champion, two-time league MVP, 10-time All-NBA, and of course, holds the record for most 3s in NBA history. Curry had everything and then some on his resume — everything except a gold medal.
Serbia gives the USA everything they've got
In the latest Netflix series, Court of Gold, Warriors and Team USA Head Coach Steve Kerr discussed how the team was feeling heading into their quarterfinal matchup with Serbia, led by three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.
"We felt good, but we also knew the test was coming," Kerr said. "No matter how good you are, there's gonna be a game, and you just don't know when it's coming."
Team USA knew they ran into trouble with Serbia as they trailed by as much as 17 points, and Serbia led for 35 of the 40 minutes of game time. Steph Curry understood the magnitude of the situation and talked about what was going through his mind as Serbia was pulling away early on.
"Serbia was playing out of their mind," Curry stated. "But I knew at a certain point I would need to have a night where, you know, I've got to provide some impact. I kinda settled into that role pretty quick into the first quarter, just keeping us afloat...this game, I had 17 [points] in the first quarter, and we were losing."
Curry, in the fourth quarter, came alive down the stretch, knocking down the leading triple from the top of the key to put the United States up 87-86 with 2:24 left in the game. Curry added the finishing touches to a remarkable comeback as he nailed both free throws to put the USA up 95-91 with 8.2 left in the game.
Curry put together an absolutely legendary performance, finishing the game with 36 points, just one point shy of breaking Carmelo Anthony's record for most points in a USAB tournament game and connecting on nine shots from behind the arc.
"Just the look on everybody's face, like 'yea we did that,' Curry said. "And it was pretty special, knowing the odds were kind of stacked against us for that 10-minute period. That's why you saw the emotion come out of us at the end."
Former Miami Heat legend Dwayne Wade spoke glowingly about the resiliency of what Team USA had accomplished in their 17-point rally to beat Serbia.
“It was beautiful to watch them come together as a team," Wade said. "Because that’s the hardest part about the Olympics. Can you actually come together and become a team? Not a group of individuals who are very talented.”
USA heads into gold medal matchup with France
Heading into the gold medal game against France, Curry spoke about the significance and intensity of what that game presents.
"The gold medal game is kind of like the best of both worlds," Curry said. "Kind of like a game seven in the playoffs or finals situation mixed with like March Madness...the test of consistency is being able to compartmentalize all those emotions. The physical and mental part of the game, just try to be as present as possible. Try to kind of let the game come to you."
France cuts into the United States lead
Entering the fourth quarter up 72-66, the United States did a great job of extending their lead to as much as 11 points in the final period of play, but France continued to scrap and claw their way back into the contest.
"In the fourth quarter, they made a run, we were turning the ball over all over the place," Curry said. "I missed a runner that airballed. There's appropriate fear of the challenge, but there's confidence at the same time...I can't be scared of a missed shot or a bad possession because that will kind of handcuff you a little bit."
France had now cut the USA's lead to just three points with 2:58 remaining in the game. French forward Nicholas Batum shared how they were feeling rejuvenated when they made it to a one-score game.
"When Wemby [Wembanyama] made it a three-point game, with barely three minutes left," Batum said. "We're like, okay, now we have a chance. They [USA] might have some doubts, or they might lose it or disconnect. As great as they are, you came from 15 [points] to three."
Steph Curry leads the US to victory down the stretch
Steve Kerr shared insight about what the coaches were discussing about what they were going to run out of the timeout.
"With a few minutes left, we were discussing what we were gonna run," Kerr said. "So Steph came over, and he goes, "Coach, let's go." We called the play 'ear-tug.' It's just a clear side pick-and-roll with Steph and LeBron. Steph just basically said, "Give me the ball, and I know where I want it."
In the final three minutes of the game, out of the timeout, Curry drilled a 3 off a behind-the-back feed from LeBron James at the top of the key.
"LeBron had the ball, and I wanted him to get downhill," Curry said. "When I set the screen and came off, he threw that behind-the-back pass, and the ball was in my hands before I could think about what was happening. I did, like, a little calm-down celebration...you understand these four minutes will define our Team USA Olympic legacies."
Less than a minute later, he got Batum off his feet and drilled another 3 to extend the USA lead to nine points with under two minutes of play remaining.
"At this point, I'm no longer surprised by anything Steph Curry does," Kerr said. "But he continues to awe me. He's capable of doing the unbelievable. But at this point, it's believable, 'cause it's Steph."
With just under a minute to go, Curry hit what instantly became one of the most iconic shots and moments in basketball history. After a pass from Kevin Durant, Curry stepped back and hoisted a deep 3-ball over the outstretched arms of Batum and Evan Fournier which was the nail in the coffin for France.
"It's just one of those moments," Batum said. "As a player, it's tough. But sometimes you have to respect it like that was insane, though. 99.999999 percent of the players in the world would have missed that shot. Only one guy could have made it. Him."
Curry jogged down the floor with his hands together, signaling his iconic celebration, "Night, night." Not just the Americans but the entire world couldn't believe what they had witnessed from Steph Curry, who put on a performance for the ages, willing this team to victory down the stretch.
"Obviously, the shot was pretty cool because it was a difficult shot, but then when I saw Melo [Carmelo Anthony] and his reaction jumping on the court, and then I kinda saw the whole crowd and how crazy it went, that's when I realized how special the moment was," Curry said. "It was a dream come true and a storybook type of stuff to have it end that way, yeah, I'll take it; it was pretty special."
Curry's heroic performance
"Big-time players make big-time plays," Wade said. "And they understand the moment, they feel the moment, and they know what's needed of them. And Steph Curry just felt the moment. I don't think nobody in the world that was watching the game was not a fan of Steph Curry's. Even if you was on the France side, you had to be in amazement of what you was watching."
The moment had intensified, and the emotions poured throughout everyone on the team once the final buzzer sounded. There's nothing to take away from the greatness of what LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and the team collectively accomplished to win the gold medal. But this run for Team USA will always be remembered by the heroics of Steph Curry and the greatness that was put on display.