“The Avengers” Assemble and Take Gold in Paris
Photo Courtesy: Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Image
Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, LeBron James. These three names are some of, if not, the biggest names in basketball. Truly transcendent figures in the basketball world, the trio teamed up for the Paris 2024 Olympics and took home the gold medal.
It was not always smooth sailing for the team as in initial scrimmages, they nearly lost to South Sudan and Germany; A far cry from the level of dominance that was expected for the team coming into the games. Fortunately for the team and the United States fans, a return to form was mostly in the works with wins 15+ point victories over Serbia, South Sudan, Puerto Rico and Brazil.
Photo Courtesy: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
As the games progressed, the US men did face tougher challenges, the first of those being Serbia. In this game, the team trailed by 20 points In fact, going in to the fourth quarter they were trailing by 13. In the end, the team relied on its veteran leadership with Steph Curry hitting clutch three-pointers and free throws to seal the deal in a 95-91 victory. Now, with Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia definitely has legitimate NBA talent but having to come back from a 20-point deficit was a surprise to be certain. That said, the resilience from USA resulted in a matchup against France in the gold medal game.
In that game against France it was another slugfest. It was never completely easy for either side as the game remained close until the final minutes. Once again, when the team needed their vets the most, they showed up. Steph Curry continued his dominant showing in these Olympics, ending with 24 points on eight three-pointers. In a legendary photo, Curry pulled out his iconic “Night Night” celebration after hitting the final of his threes.
TEAM USA SAID NIGHT NIGHT. 🇺🇸😤 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/soaz3P2SBp
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 10, 2024
The legacy has been cemented for KD, Chef Curry, and King James as they accomplished what they said they were going to do. “The Avengers” as James said they should be referred as, established dominance on the world stage and kept alive a five-Olympic streak of gold medals in men’s basketball.
