Team USA defeats France in Paris to win its 17th Olympic gold medal thanks to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant

The U.S. men’s basketball team won with a score of 24 points from Curry, 15 from Durant, and 14 from LeBron James, who also grabbed the gold.

At the Paris Olympics in 2024, Team USA triumphed over the host nation of France, despite a boisterous cheer from the French spectators.

On Saturday, August 10, Team USA Basketball achieved their record of 17 Olympic gold wins when the men’s basketball team from the United States defeated France 98-87 to earn their fifth straight gold medal.

In a venue where many fervently thought Team France would win their first Olympic gold in basketball on home soil, the American basketball players had to pull off the triumph as predicted.

But in a game that also served as a rematch between the two teams that faced off in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics basketball final, with the same outcome, Team USA prevailed thanks to 24 points from Stephen Curry, 15 from Kevin Durant, and 14 more from LeBron James, who was donning a matching pair of gold sneakers.

Curry, 36, did not make the team for the London 2012 Olympics and did not compete in either the 2016 or 2020 games because of injuries. This gold medal is his first and most certainly his last.

In addition to the bronze medal that Team USA sadly won in 2004, James, 39, has now won three gold medals.

A-list celebrities flocked to Bercy Arena for the men’s final, including Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Jimmy Fallon, French star Omar Sy, and gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson.

A few former NBA players were there to show support, including Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen. Tony Parker kicked off the gold medal game by striking the ceremonial stick three times on the ground. Eurosport claims that the stick ceremony was instituted at the Paris Games as a way to honor France’s illustrious theatrical heritage.

At Bercy Arena, tensions were evident from the off when Durant assessed France’s Frank Ntilikina early in the contest. During the second quarter, Bam Adebayo from Team USA and Guerschon Yabusele from France had to be separated by a referee’s whistle.

Durant is officially the most decorated basketball player in American history after Saturday’s triumph.

However, the biggest booing came from Team France fans inside the arena whenever Joel Embiid touched the ball, a reaction that the Cameroonian player overcame to help his team win the gold medal.

Embiid only scored four points on Saturday, including two free throws that caused the audience to erupt in practically deafening clamor, but he made several crucial defensive plays that helped the team win. Embiid became a target for French basketball fans when he decided to play for Team USA over Team France.

The Olympic champions had advanced to the final by a close margin before Saturday’s contest. On August 8, they had been behind Serbia by double digits for the whole of their semifinal encounter.

Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, who scored 36 points in the United States’ comeback victory, put in a valiant effort.

Curry said to media, including PEOPLE, during the semifinal: “I went into this experience believing that this would be my one and only opportunity to play in the Olympics and see this platform. When this is my one chance to win a gold medal, I don’t want to be on the team that didn’t advance to the gold medal game. That’s all you’re contemplating while attempting to enjoy yourself while playing your favorite game.”