Olympics: Basketball-Men Semifinal - USA-SRB
Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard LeBron James (6) celebrates with guard Kevin Durant (7) during the first half in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
We haven’t covered the Olympic team much this summer, but the gold medal game seems worthy of an open thread. Team USA takes on Team France, following a thrilling comeback victory by the Americans over Serbia.
The game tips off at 12:30 PT.
With apologies to any of our readers from France, go USA!
The first half was amazing and the Kings should sign Yabusele
I thought he was going to be good when he came over. NBA career never really took off. Same with Usman Garuba.
Y’know, it’s so much nicer rooting for Curry than against.
I desperately want to hear the French commentator’s reaction to that Curry outburst.
Curry was insane at the end. That was so fun. My son commented about how it’s a lot more fun when Curry is doing that for you instead of against you.
Good game to watch. The USA does not have the same advantages it has had before. The world is catching up. I think the global game is great and that will be very good for the NBA. Glad the USA got it done. Wemby is amazing.
It’s going to be an eye opening next decade for USA basketball. Once LeBron, KD, Curry, etc. are gone who is going to fill their shoes? The next generation of NBA greats all look to be foreign born. The next 5 years of NBA MVP races look to be between the likes of Jokic, Luka and Wemby. I’m not sold on the likes of Hali, Ant, Booker rising to the levels of previously mentioned Hall of Famers.
They are going to have to build a team and develop that team. There will be three or four international teams each with two great NBA players and some role players. The USA team will be similar. A team culture and team development coach will be needed. There will not be room for all of the popularity contests that determine the team.
International basketball is legitimately good.
Ace Bailey
Cooper Flagg
Keegan Murray
Paolo Banchero
Lots and lots and lots of talent. Everywhere, and, IMO, the USA has a strong advantage there.
Is the FIBA game different? Yes, but not that different. Look at what Dennis Schroeder said it his presser.
Individual superstar talent will always carry a team – like Curry, like Durant and James. Like Jokic and Wemby.
But who else played with Jokic – Bogdanovic and…?. Who else carried Wemby and Gobert to the Finals – Yabusele, Lessort, Ntilikina, Cordinier and Evan (Please don’t Google) Fournier.
It’s the beauty of basketball. It’s not an All-Star game. Coach Kerr applauded and heavily played Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday – who transformed themselves from Stars to complimentary players. Prodigious talent can cover and make up for a lot of mistakes, but at the end of the day team play carries a series.
Can TeamUSA play that style of game? One would think so.
The process of picking a team and coaching in regards to who plays deserves scrutiny. Kerr and Co. clearly sat Tatum as well as Hali (Ty Haliburton with a very humble and funny post on X). They won, so all the criticism melts away. But had they lost…
I’m enjoying this Women’s Final atm. Great stuff
Leaving Caitlin Clark home was a mistake in so many ways. If they did not bring home gold they would never get away with it.
Agreed. I guess it was more important for 42 year old Dina Taurasi to sit on the bench to get her 6th gold medal than give an opportunity to up and coming Clark. I’d have preferred Angel Reese to Britney (take a knee) Griner.
Curry was absolutely incredible. That last 3 to put the game away was just other worldly. I find it almost impossible not to root for Curry because the skill level is just something else.
When he retires, he and the NBA should hold a jouint press conference. Steph announcing his retirement, then the league announcing his immediate induction to the hall of fame.
And Draymond should be there to stomp on anyone who complains that the rules for induction should be observed?
He will shoot a finite number of threes in his career. He just used up a few more. Good news for Kings fans. But, yeah, when’s he’s on he’s video game good. Glad he got the the USA the win.
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