Team USA men's basketball had an incredible run in the 2024 Olympics. The squad went undefeated and secured another gold medal with their 98-87 win over France on Saturday. Stephen Curry shined as Team USA's leading scorer in the matchup. After the win, the USA celebrated their win in a social media post, but the post may have shaded fellow countryman and star sprinter Noah Lyles.
In 2023, Lyles criticized the NBA's “world champions” title given to teams who win the league's Finals. His famous proposed question was, “World champions of what? The United States?” Lyles believes that to deem oneself a “world champion,” one must “face the rest of the world” rather than within a nation. His comments were met with backlash from fans and some players within the NBA community. Nearly a year later after Team USA's gold medal win, they made this post that was seemingly aimed at Lyles:
“Are we the World Champs now?” USA Basketball posted on X (formerly Twitter) along with a picture of Team USA posted together after their 2024 Olympic title win over France.
Could the USA's post be a response to Noah Lyles? Regardless, the squad put forth an admirable performance on the big stage, as did Lyles. Lyles won gold in the 100-meter dash and bronze in the 200m despite being diagnosed with COVID. The USA has exemplified excellence all around during the Summer Games.
Team USA adds to decorated legacy
The USA had a fairly smooth ride throughout the rounds until August 8. That day, the squad faced a hungry Serbia team led by Nikola Jokic. Serbia took a commanding double-digit lead during the game, but the USA impressively stormed back and won 95-91. Stephen Curry erupted with a game-high 36 points. The Golden State Warriors guard hit a clutch three that helped the USA keep the lead and close the game out.
Curry continued his offensive leadership against France on Saturday. He finished the gold-medal-clinching matchup with a team-high 24 points, going 8-for-13 on three-pointers. Curry help from several highly-touted teammates.
Three other players reach double-digit scoring marks, including Kevin Durant (15), Devin Booker (15), and LeBron James (14). Those three were not the only ones to provide outstanding performances during the Summer Games. Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid came up huge during Team USA's previous win against Serbia. In addition, the support provided by everyone else on the bench was outstanding.
It will be four more years until the USA competes again in the Olympics. In the meantime, they will celebrate and enjoy their incredible 2024 accomplishment.
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