Basketball star Stephen attributes staying in the present and being confident in final for USA’s fifth successive gold medal with 98-87 win over hosts France
USA’s Stephen Curry shoots during the basketball final against France at the Bercy Arena in Paris on Saturday. Pics/AFP
Stephen Curry was thinking about this two years ago, after winning his fourth NBA title with the Golden State Warriors. The only thing left for him to win was Olympic gold. And in the ultimate moment, he made sure that medal would be his.
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The USA is atop the international men’s basketball world once again, after Curry scored 24 points—all on 3-pointers—and led the way to a 98-87 win over France in the final on Saturday night. It was the fifth consecutive gold medal for the USA and the 17th in 20 all-time appearances for the Americans at the games.
“You just stay confident, stay present and don’t get rattled by the moment,” said Curry, who had 17 3-pointers in his last two games, starting with nine against Serbia to get to the gold-medal game.
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The US basketball team with their gold medals in Paris on Saturday
Curry made four 3-pointers in the final 2:43, including the one that just sealed the win with 1:19 remaining. It put USA up 93-84 and he skipped down the court letting out a yell, shaking his jersey so everyone could see the “USA” across the front. One more followed with about 30 seconds left, with the “go to sleep” move where he puts his hands on the side of his face. “For me to get a gold medal is insane, and I thank God for the opportunity to experience it,” Curry said.
US women win too
Meanwhile, USA pipped China for top spot in the battle of medals on Sunday. In a thrilling finale that capped 17 days of spellbinding action, the USA women’s basketball team squeezed past France 67-66 to clinch the last gold of the Games. The win—USA’s eighth consecutive Olympic women’s basketball title—ensured the Americans finished level with China on 40 golds each as the games drew to a close.
4
No of three-pointers Curry scored in the last three mins v France
17
No of three-pointers Curry netted across the semis and final
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