Team USA Basketball

It was a frustrating Olympics for Jayson Tatum despite winning a gold medal, as the Boston Celtics star had to watch much of the past five games from the bench.

But despite Team USA coach Steve Kerr limiting Tatum's role in the Olympics, he said his decision on whether he will play in the 2028 Games won't be one he makes based on how this year went.

"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to make any decision off emotions," Tatum said, per ESPN"s Brian Windhorst. "If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028 -- it is four years from now and I [would have] to take time and think about that. So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually."

Tatum, who joined Team USA fresh off an NBA championship run with the Celtics, didn't play in two of the United States' six Olympic games. Kerr left him on the bench during Thursday's semifinal against Serbia despite Team USA's struggling to defend the perimeter, which Tatum excels at.

He played 11 minutes in Saturday's final against France, scoring two points and grabbing three boards.

Tatum spoke candidly about his second Olympic experience. According to Windhorst, he mentioned several times that he was happy to have won another gold medal and "didn't want his situation to take away from the team's success."

He also expressed that this year's Olympic run was a learning experience.

"A lot of people text me and reached out and said 'make sure this fuels you,' which I appreciate. There's a lot of people that care about me," Tatum said. "I think the tough part is yes, you can use things to fuel you, but I'm still human.

"...Part of being in the moment, I've sacrificed and put a lot into this game and work really, really hard. So in the moment it is tough. You're not necessarily worried about fueling me for November or [whenever] the season is, but like I said, it's something I'm going to take away from this and learn and from this experience. It's definitely challenging and humbling at the same time."

At just 26 years old, it seems unlikely that Paris will be his last time suiting up for Team USA. He didn't get the chance to shine the way he would have liked this year, but if his positive trajectory continues, he could be the one leading the United States to gold in 2028.

Men's national basketball team head coach Steve Kerr believes Devin Booker is the "unsung MVP" of Team USA's gold medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him," Kerr said at the end of his press conference Saturday, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post. "He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that."

Booker recorded 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting on Saturday to power the Americans to a 98-87 gold medal victory.

In SEPTEMBER 2023 Book said he’d lean into being a role player if it meant winning gold... today he’s an Olympic Champion 👏🥇

Did whatever it took. 😤

(h/t @BenGolliver) pic.twitter.com/fI1BuHATps

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 11, 2024

Booker also led his team in points through three quarters prior to Stephen Curry's offensive outburst in the fourth.

He and Phoenix Suns teammate Kevin Durant helped Team USA out to an early lead over France by scoring 10 of the Americans' first 12 points.

Later in the game Booker helped feed Curry for his late shower of three-pointers that helped the U.S. fend off a fourth-quarter push by France.

That wasn't the first time both Booker and Durant have slotted in as crucial role players for Team USA.

The pair also led the Americans' recovery from a near-loss Serbia in Thursday's semifinal. Team USA earned a chance to play in the gold medal game in large part because of the Suns stars, who combined for eight points in 45 seconds of the fourth quarter to spark a comeback.

This ability to produce when Team USA has needed them most has kept both Booker and Durant in the lineup for every Olympic game, while other NBA stars like Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton saw limited minutes down the stretch.

Kerr had already demonstrated his trust in Booker by putting him on the floor for key moments in games. Alongside Durant, Curry, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Booker was one of the players Kerr put on the court to close out Saturday's gold medal win.

James may have been named the MVP of the men's basketball tournament, but it seems Kerr wants viewers to know just how important Booker was to those victories as well.

Team USA basketball seemingly took a jab at track star Noah Lyles after winning a gold medal on Saturday.

"Are we the World Champs now?" Team USA posted on X after the win over France in the gold-medal game.

Are we the World Champs now?

🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/t4M9NeBkU6

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 10, 2024

The post from Team USA is a callback to August of last year when Lyles called NBA teams out for referring to themselves as "World Champions" despite playing in a league consisting of teams just from America and Canada.

"You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have 'world champion' on their head," Lyles said. "World champion of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong, I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world."

“World champion of what? The United States?”

Track and Field star Noah Lyles on NBA champs calling themselves World Champs.

(via @eurosport) pic.twitter.com/do1WC2vdYb

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 27, 2023

Lyles' comments sparked a year-long debate about whether the NBA champions can call themselves the world champions.

On one hand, the NBA consists of the best players in the world, not just the United States, making a point towards the argument of it being a world league. On the other hand, the league is different than track and field, where every year athletes from every country come together to compete to truly find out who the best in the world is.

Either way, both Team USA and Lyles can call themselves world champions after this year's Olympics. Lyles won gold in the 100-meter while the United States went unbeaten on its way to a fifth straight gold medal.

Could 2024 be the last time Kevin Durant suits up for Team USA?

The Phoenix Suns standout won his fourth gold medal as the U.S. defeated France 98-87 in the gold medal game on Saturday. Durant is the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. at the Olympics, but his status for 2028 is not settled.

Following the win, Durant was asked about the possibility of him playing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He took a conservative approach, declaring "we'll see."

Four-time gold medalist Kevin Durant, USA Basketball’s all-time leading scorer, said, “we’ll see,” in terms of the possibility of playing in the LA 2028 Olympics. pic.twitter.com/0d7LvRS1G2

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 10, 2024

Durant has been on every U.S. team at the Olympics since 2012.

Durant averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists across his Olympic slate. He scored 15 points in the gold medal game and added four assists and rebounds.

His only start came in the gold medal game and he had a different role on this loaded U.S. team. Still, he made his presence felt and became the first men's player to earn four gold medals at the Olympics.

Durant will be 39 when the 2028 Olympics occur and would be in a similar position to what LeBron James was in this year. A motivator could be the chance to win the gold at home, something Durant has never had the opportunity to do in his Olympic career.

After competing in his fourth Olympics and winning his third gold medal, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James could be finished playing for Team USA.

The NBA and Olympic legend indicated that Saturday's final against France could have been his last time playing in the Olympics.

"I can't see myself playing in L.A.," James said, referring to the 2028 Olympics, per ESPN's Marc J. Spears.

It's understandable that James would decide to opt out of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, as he would be 43 by the time they roll around. While James has continued to defy the laws of aging, it would be a bit surprising if he's still in Olympic form by then.

Of course, there were likely many people who previously argued James wouldn't be able to play in the 2024 Olympics, and he ended up winning MVP. Only time will tell if he will return to win a fourth gold medal, but for now, James isn't giving fans any false hope.

His Lakers co-star, on the other hand, could be back in a Team USA uniform in four years. Anthony Davis, who just competed in his second Olympics, made comments indicating that he'll want to compete again in Los Angeles.

"I think so," he said about the prospect of returning to Team USA in 2028, per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds.

Kevin Durant, who won a record fourth gold medal on Saturday, left his answer about coming back in 2028 open-ended.

"Who knows, man. We'll see," Durant said, according to Reynolds.

Only time will tell whether Team USA icons like James and Durant will compete again in 2028, but if it was their last time playing for the United States, they ended things on a positive note.

Joel Embiid is an Olympic gold medalist and France is not happy about it.

Embiid and Team USA took down France 98-87 to earn a fifth consecutive gold medal. This was Embiid's first run with the U.S, but his French citizenship gave him the option to play for the host country.

Instead, he chose to play for Team USA and the home crowd showed its disapproval during the ceremony.

Joel Embiid receives his first-ever Olympic gold medal for Team USA 🇺🇸 🥇 pic.twitter.com/Zwz3wvkjFa

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 10, 2024

Embiid gestured to the crowd as the boos occurred and the U.S. roster joined him in the celebration.

Embiid was born in Cameroon and moved to the United States at 16. He became a French citizen in 2022 and there was speculation he would suit up for the host nation.

Joel Embiid after winning the 2024 Olympic Gold Medal:

“Everything is golden! Mission accomplished 🥇”

[via. IG// @JoelEmbiid] pic.twitter.com/6rKtfeCUbR

— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) August 10, 2024

Instead, he chose to play for the U.S. and join a team that had won four consecutive gold medals and 16 of 19 in the event's history. Whether or not his presence flipped the result, the French team surely would have been better off with him on the roster.

While he won his first gold with the U.S, Embiid could sport another country's colors in 2028.

He expressed interest in representing Cameroon at the Los Angeles Olympics, although that would process would require securing waivers and for Cameroon to qualify for the tournament.

For the fifth consecutive Olympics, Team USA has claimed the gold medal in men's basketball.

The star-studded roster which includes LeBron James, Steph Curry and other NBA stars defeated France 98-87 on Saturday to remain unbeaten in Olympic play and claim the gold medal.

After the win, Team USA snapped a photo that became instantly iconic.

pic.twitter.com/bV9qabx9Kk

— RingerNBA (@ringernba) August 10, 2024

The King crowns the 2024 Olympic squad with their official nickname 🇺🇸🗣️ pic.twitter.com/eawUhVRG5V

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 11, 2024

The trio of Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant led the way for Team USA on Saturday. Curry had 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting from deep, with 12 of his points coming in the final three minutes to help put France away.

Durant had 15 points and James added 14 points along with 10 assists and six rebounds on his way to being named FIBA's MVP of the tournament.

⭐️ THE MVP OF #Paris2024 Men's #Basketball ⭐️

LeBron James, United States of America 🇺🇸 👑 pic.twitter.com/7S6UWxvNPq

— FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) August 10, 2024

France put up a commendable fight, keeping things close until the final minute. Rising star Victor Wembanyama led the way for his squad with 26 points and seven boards. While the former No. 1 overall pick couldn't claim gold, he still has plenty of time left to do so as his career is just beginning.

After the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, it was clear the rest of the world could compete with the United States in basketball. That led to stars like James and Curry deciding to suit up to ensure the gold medal went to the United States.

The group faced a strong Serbia team anchored by Nikola Jokić in the semifinals before another tough matchup in the finals, but ultimately achieved their goal of a gold medal.

This year's Team USA was an iconic mix of players that combined veterans and legends of the game with new stars. While the roster will almost certainly look different in 2028, there's no denying the 2024 team left its mark.

Kevin Durant is the first player in men's basketball history to win four Olympic gold medals.

Durant passed three-time Olympic champion Carmelo Anthony for the milestone on Saturday following Team USA's 98-87 win over France at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

HISTORY FOR KD 🥇💰 pic.twitter.com/dO8mvXltnt

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 10, 2024

Team USA’s Kevin Durant becomes the first player to win four Gold Medals in men’s Olympic basketball history. Durant has also scored the most points in USA Olympic history. The two-time NBA Finals MVP cements himself as the most decorated USA Basketball player ever. pic.twitter.com/SjvYRtbEPr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 10, 2024

Durant also won gold at the 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021.

He became Team USA's all-time leading Olympics scorer on Tuesday during a quarterfinal win over Brazil.

In the gold medal game four days later, Durant contributed 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting to help lift Team USA to victory.

Durant's teammate, LeBron James, meanwhile matched Anthony for the second-most gold medals in USA men's basketball history by earning his third in Paris. James also claimed gold in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.

James also holds a fourth Olympic medal from when Team USA earned bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.

Being with Team USA on their quest to win gold in Paris was not always guaranteed for Durant, who missed all five of the squad's Olympic exhibition games with a left calf injury.

But Durant returned for the American's Olympic opener against Serbia, and ended up playing a key bench role during the team's run to the gold medal game.

Largely playing as Team USA's sixth man, Durant averaged 13.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists through four group stage and two knockout games.

He played an important role in Team USA heading into the knockout round as the top seed, racking up 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting during a group play win over Serbia.

During the knockout round, Durant passed Team USA star Lisa Leslie's 488 career points for the country's all-time Olympic scoring lead.

In the gold medal game Durant sank two critical free throws in the final three minutes of the game to help Team USA close out their bid for the gold.

Durant will finish the 2024 Paris Games as the first American men's basketball player to top 500 Olympic points and the eighth player in Olympic men's basketball history to reach the milestone.

Steph Curry knows a thing or two about championships.

The four-time NBA champ earned his first Olympic gold medal on Saturday when Team USA took down France 98-87 in Paris.

Following the game, Curry reflected on the moment on the NBC broadcast with Mike Tirico and said that he considers this accomplishment among his highest in the sport:

This was a test. Obviously France in their home building, you knew they weren't going to quit and they threw everything at us. There was a little bit of that a new team like we have, no matter how much talent we have, we got a little out of sorts down the stretch. Turned the ball over, taking quick shots and obviously it was a big shot to put us up six, that kind of settled everything and then the rhythm, the avalanche came and thankfully the other three went in but that was an unbelievable moment. I've been blessed to play basketball at a high level for a very long time. This ranks very high in terms of the excitement and the sense of relief getting to the finish line.

USA's Stephen Curry on winning his first gold medal: "It’s everything I imagined and more. There’s a sense of relief at the end, but it’s more a sense of accomplishment. ... Smiling, cheesing, having the best time of my life because this might not come around again."

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 10, 2024

Welcome to the Olympic gold medalists club, @StephenCurry30! 🇺🇸🥇 pic.twitter.com/RtricLse2t

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 11, 2024

Curry later celebrated the moment with Anthony Edwards:

1, 2, 3 Gold!!!! pic.twitter.com/xFrtezbTrv

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 10, 2024

He continued by saying that he has had Olympic gold on his mind for a few years and finishing the job is something he is happy to have accomplished.

It is special. Two years ago when we won our last championship, I knew that this was going to be on the horizon as something that I was excited to go after. Anything you sign up for, any mission that you take on, you give everything you have, so these last… five weeks together with this group has been nothing but 'One-two-three gold.' That's all we've been saying. So for us to finally accomplish that, for me to get a gold medal is insane and I thank God for the opportunity to experience it.

Curry played a major role in the U.S. victory. He led the team with 24 points and was 8-of-13 from beyond the arc. This came after a 36-point performance in the semifinal against Serbia, a game in which the U.S. had to come back to win 95-91.

He averaged 14.8 points across the Olympic run, but his final two games will be the ones that are remembered in the future.

The United States men's basketball team captured a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Saturday with a 98-87 win over Victor Wembanyama and France in Paris.

GREATNESS GETS GOLD 🥇#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/NAFVzmHZFg

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 10, 2024

The star of the day was guard Steph Curry, who put together a second straight sensational performance. Curry led all scorers with 24 points, all of which came from beyond the arc.

"THE GOLDEN DAGGER!"

Steph Curry that is utterly ridiculous. 🤯#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/8hIN8tgmfK

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024

STEPH WAS ICE COLD DOWN THE STRETCH. 🥶

Four three-pointers in TWO MINUTES AND 11 SECONDS to close out France for the gold medal. 🥇 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/2dR7UUE0Hn

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024

Fans, media and fellow NBA players took to social media to praise his performance and declare him an instant Olympic legend.

Steph Curry has actually waited his whole life for this Olympics moment

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) August 10, 2024

Steph Curry, American hero.

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) August 10, 2024

2008 Kobe 🤝 2024 Steph.

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 10, 2024

Greatest shooter in the world of all time ever

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) August 10, 2024

STEPHHHHHH TOP 5 EVER I REPEAT TOP 5 EVERRRRRR!!!!! 👨‍🍳

— Dejounte Murray (@DejounteMurray) August 10, 2024

Joel hitting the sleepy time watching Steph 🥹

— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) August 10, 2024

Night night 😴 pic.twitter.com/Tzj9vaJbae

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) August 10, 2024

STEPH FROM 3!!! https://t.co/R65aYY8UAZ pic.twitter.com/xY1I6AC9k1

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 10, 2024

THESE ARE LAYUPS

— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) August 10, 2024

Nothing can bring the country together quite like a Curry flurry.

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) August 10, 2024

Steph Curry is ridiculous.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 10, 2024

Steph 🔥🔥🔥

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 10, 2024

Give Steph Curry two golds

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) August 10, 2024

An iconic moment in basketball history.

— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 10, 2024

Steph is ridiculous

— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) August 10, 2024

Steph went into God Mode

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) August 10, 2024

While it is the fifth consecutive medal for Team USA, it is Curry's first personally. He also added five assists and two steals in the win.

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each added 15 points while LeBron James had 14 in the win. France was led by Victor Wembanyama, who had 26 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

The United States now has 17 all-time gold medals in men's basketball.