Steph Curry. Kevin Durant. Devin Booker. LeCaptain America. We’re going to remember this team for many years to come. After a wild come-from-behind victory over Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the semifinal, USA basketball completed the climb to the top, defeating France 98-87 in the Gold Medal Game.
USA entered the tournament as the odds on favorite by a mile at -360 on the DraftKings Sportsbook—Canada following behind at +900—and went undefeated in Paris while putting on a show.
In today’s match for gold, it was Stephen Curry who put USA on his back. The legendary shooter was red-hot from three, hitting eight in the contest and racking up 24 points to lead his squad. Booker added 15 to the final score, while James notched 10 assists, six rebounds and 14 points.
From youth to experience, this year’s basketball team was nothing short of super. Young star Anthony Edwards came off the bench for Team USA, but soaked in his time at his first Olympics—even getting to play alongside his childhood hero, Kevin Durant.
Talk about chills.
As for the veterans, 39-year-old LeBron James showed no signs of rust, and was arguably the best player in this tournament. James was a part of the 2004 Athens Games team, the 2008 squad, and also played in London in 2012, making Paris his fourth Olympic Games. His experience no doubt bled through to his impressive play as he was a dominant force everywhere on the court, and even notched his second career Olympic triple-double in the semifinal against Serbia. King James didn’t need any more evidence to cement himself as a legend of the game, but somehow, he did just that in Paris, earning Olympic MVP of the tournament.
Victor Wembanyama led his squad with 26 points and 7 boards, but France lost the three-point battle, shooting only 30% in comparison to USA’s 50%—thank you, Steph. France, of course, doesn’t go home empty handed, but claims their fourth silver medal in their country’s men’s basketball history.
Olympic vet Kevin Durant made history of his own. The two-time NBA Finals MVP has become the first athlete to win four Olympic gold medals in the history of men’s basketball, and hit 518 all-time Olympic points. Durant was key to this squad’s success in the tournament, shooting lights out off the bench to start the Games and rounding out the tournament with 15 points and four assists on the night.
Team USA’s victory today brings America’s Gold Medal count to 38 as the 2024 Paris Olympics round out this weekend.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups.
