It has been said that Team USA is as good as the Dream Team.
Or even more.
On Saturday they’ll get a chance to prove it.
The opportunity to win a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball.
The U.S. team, which fought back hard in the semifinals led by Noah Lyles in the 100 meters, will face France in a rematch of the Tokyo Olympic final at 3:30 p.m. at the Bercy Arena.
And if there’s one team that won’t be intimidated by the sheer strength of the U.S. team, it’s the host nation.
Since 2004, the U.S. team has an astounding Olympic record of 35-1.
But what about that?
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, they lost to France in the group stage.
They won the gold medal game 87-72, beating France in the final for the third time.
Now they will look to complete the perfect 4-0 victory.
To achieve that, they would have to overcome the genius Victor Wembanyama and a passionate Parisian crowd.
But the U.S. team, featuring Hall of Fame superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, had its mettle tested and strengthened by a 16-1 record in the Olympic finals and a tough semifinal win over Serbia.
“It’s great to be tested,” James said, “and our ultimate goal is one game left, so we’re looking forward to playing France on Saturday.”
“I’m 39 years old and going into my 22nd season. I don’t know how many more opportunities or moments I’ll have to compete for something, compete for big things and play in big games.”
Saturday will be the biggest game in international competition, a chance not just to become an NBA champion or a gold medalist, but to become an icon.
Durant is seeking a record fourth consecutive championship.
If he does so, he will tie himself with Carmelo Anthony for the most trophies ever by a male basketball player, American or foreign.
They’ll have to do it against Wenbanyama, a generational talent that Durant has already hailed as the future of the sport — and before a crowd that’s expected to be raucous even before kickoff.
“It’s going to be amazing,” predicted U.S. coach Steve Kerr. “I watched the final quarters of the last two games against France because they played before us. The crowds were awesome. They played the European national anthems a bunch of times, which I can’t get out of my head. I’m sure you all know the tunes.”
“Everybody was jumping up and down and I literally got my phone out and took video of the crowd because it was just a special experience just to see that energy and that enthusiasm. Of course it’s going to be even louder on Saturday night. I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be one of the most entertaining games I’ll ever be a part of.”
2024 Paris Olympics
The U.S. team, 5-0 so far in France, is coming off a match that was more escapism than enjoyment.
They were outscored by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of Serbia by as many as 17 points and trailed by 11 with 7:20 left in the game.
Curry scored 36 points, one shy of Anthony’s U.S. Olympic record, and scored nine in a fourth-quarter comeback as Joel Embiid slowed Jokic’s attack.
But it was a tough battle against a veteran, physical team.
They will be going up against a skilled team of extremely athletic young men, and this team is undoubtedly full of confidence, as it is the only one of the current squad to have beaten the U.S. at an Olympic Games.
Just three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, Team USA lost their opening group game to France, 83-76, but then rallied to win the gold medal.
France (4-1) comes into the tournament full of confidence after beating unbeaten and reigning FIBA world champion Germany, 73-69, in the semifinals.
They are already all but guaranteed to become the first host nation to win a medal since the United States won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
But to win gold, they’ll have to go up against James, Durant and Curry, who are part of a powerhouse team that Serbia coach Svetislav Pesic called the best in Olympic history.
“They’re that good,” Pesick argued.
Now is the time to prove it.
