The 2024 Summer Olympics were held this past summer in Paris, France. On February 18, Netflix released a documentary detailing Team USA’s journey to win their fifth straight Gold Medal at the games.
The six-part series documented the Olympics from the viewpoint of other countries, including Serbia, Greece, France, and Canada. A big focal point of this documentary was exploring the success and emergence of opposing teams challenging the United States. Here are my three biggest takeaways after viewing the entire series.
1. The Avengers: Best team since the Dream Team?
Although the 2024 USA team didn’t have an official name like “The Dream Team,” many have labeled them “The Avengers.” Team USA has had plenty of success since the iconic group in 1992 led by Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Magic Johnson, and Lary Bird. The Redeem Team in 2008, with Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James, was an incredible group, but this past year’s may have surpassed that.
Kevin Durant stated during the documentary that their team group chat is labeled the Avengers. The 2024 team was led by three first-ballot Hall-of-Fame players: Stephen Curry, Durant, and James. Along with those three legends, young stars joined the team: Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, and Tyrese Haliburton. Veteran big men Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis rounded out their frontcourt to create one of the most accomplished teams the United States has put together.
The amount of young talent that Team USA has for the present and the future is unbelievable. Great teams have been put together in the past 20 years, but this is the first time that James, Curry, and Durant shared the floor together. Each one is arguably in the top 10 players of all time.
2. Curry and Durant led the way
Curry led Team USA with 24 points and eight three-pointers in the Gold Medal game. It was a three-point game, but then Chef Curry took over. Although he has only played in one Olympics, he is already a Team USA legend. Up four with under 40 seconds left, Curry hit the dagger three-pointer to seal the victory and hit his signature “night-night” pose.
Melo and Scottie Pippen were among the former greats in the front row, reacting to Curry’s magical shot. This was the lone piece of hardware missing from Curry’s resume. Curry led Team USA with 14.8 points per game during their six games in Paris. Yes, Durant only averaged 13.8 per contest, but he became the all-time leading scorer in USA Basketball history. KD is a Team USA legend and now has four Gold Medals, the most ever.
In their first game in Paris, KD scored 23 points to lead Team USA. He made his first eight field goals and went 5-5 on three-pointers. Durant got emotional during this series when discussing how special this Team USA group is and his relationship with the game of basketball. “This game saved my life, so I’m grateful for it” Durant said.
Even though this was the first time James, Curry, and Durant played together for Team USA, it may be the last time we see this trio together. Team USA beat France 98-87 to win the 2024 Gold Medal. With James being 40 years old, it is likey that his Olympic career ends with his third Gold Medal.
3. Competition is at an all-time high
Although France came up short against Team USA, they put up a great fight. Victor Wembanyama proved that he is one of the future faces of basketball. Wemby scored 26 points in the Gold Medal game against the United States.
It was evident how global basketball has become in the past 20 years. Team Canada didn’t medal in the 2024 games, but their future is bright with 10 NBA players on their roster. Their guard trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, and Jamal Murray will be primed to return at the 2028 games.
Austailia won the Bronze medal and has seven active NBA players. France, which won the Silver medal, has four NBA players and a dominant frontcourt with Rudy Gobert and Wemby. Nikola Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, has made Serbia relevant again in the Olympics.
When you look at the NBA today, the last seven MVPs have been won by foreign players. Joel Embiid did play for Team USA this year, but he was born in Cameroon. Currently, the 2025 MVP frontrunner is SGA from Canada. After winning the last five Gold Medals, the United States doesn’t have to worry a ton, but the competition is inching closer to dethroning the giant.
