The 2024 Team USA squad played their first contest together on Wednesday night when they took on Canada in an exhibition match, and they ended up coming out on top with an 86-72 victory. While there are tons of superstars on this team, everyone wanted to see how Stephen Curry would fare in this game, and he ended up having a strong night for America.

Curry got the starting nod in the backcourt alongside Jrue Holiday, and he put together a solid body of work over 19 minutes on the court (12 PTS, 3 AST, 2 REB, 4-7 FGM). Along the way, Curry went viral thanks to a hilarious pose he hit to celebrate making an and-one layup early in the third quarter.

Stephen Curry hoping to lead the way for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics

USA guard Stephen Curry (4) practices his dribbling during a timeout against Canada in the fourth quarter of the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Given that it was an exhibition game, things weren't necessarily taken as seriously as they would have been if it were a contest with some stakes on the line. Curry knew that, which led to him playing to the crowd by pulling off this hilarious celebration. And as he explained after the game, that was precisely his reasoning for making this awesome pose.

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While Team USA struggled early on in this one, they managed to rebound and cruise to victory over Canada, who is widely expected to be one of their toughest opponents in the Games. It's also worth noting that Team USA isn't even operating at full power yet, as Kevin Durant didn't play in this game due to a minor calf strain, while Derrick White was unavailable after he was named Kawhi Leonard's replacement earlier in the day.

Still, the amount of star power on this team was ridiculous, even without those guys. Curry was one of four scorers to reach double-figures, with Holiday, Anthony Davis, and Anthony Edwards also hitting the mark. The fact that guys like LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum didn't reach that tally shows just how deep this team is.

While several guys could step up at any moment to lead the way, Curry is going to be one of the guys with the most responsibilities given his penchant for scoring throughout his career. This is also his first time playing in the Olympics, so you can bet he's going to have a lot of incentive to go out and dominate every time Team USA takes the court.

That's not the only reason Curry had to go out and play well in this game in particular, though. It was his daughter Ryan's birthday on Wednesday, and he was forced to miss it so that he could play in this game. That didn't mean he forgot, though, as he took a moment to give her a heartfelt shoutout after the game ended.

If this exhibition is anything to go off of, it's clear that Team USA is going to be incredibly tough to beat in the upcoming Games, which isn't exactly a surprise given the amount of talent they have assembled on paper. And if they win at the rate they are expected to, chances are Stephen Curry will be pulling off more celebrations like this one along the way.