Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Team USA captured its fifth-straight Olympic gold medal on Saturday, defeating France 98-87 in front of their fans at the Paris Olympics.
Stephen Curry led the way with 24 points and eight 3s, including four triples in the final two-and-a-half minutes to seal the victory. LeBron James, who was named MVP of the 2024 Olympics, finished with 14 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, two steals, and one block. Kevin Durant chipped in 15 points, four assists, four rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Etan Thomas, an 11-year NBA veteran who suited up for the Wizards, Thunder, and Hawks, believes that James, Curry, and Durant may go down as the best trio in Team USA history.
“When you have Steph, KD, and LeBron, it doesn’t matter how old they are — that is a Big Three that is gonna be very tough to beat,” Thomas said in an exclusive interview with RG. “In fact, you can put them against any Big Three in USA basketball history and it’s gonna be tough for any combination from any era to beat them. They are that special.”
What were Thomas’ biggest takeaways from Team USA’s gold-medal victory?
“Biggest takeaway is Steph Curry is on a whole ‘nother level. Completely unreal,” Thomas said. “When he heats up like that, he literally can’t miss. It was also great to see how a team full of All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers saw that he had the hot hand and kept going to him.
James continues to fight off Father Time, earning Olympic MVP honors despite the fact that he’ll turn 40 years old in December. Thomas believes that James is taken for granted and will get more respect when he finally decides to walk away from basketball for good.
“I think people forget that LeBron has been playing at this high of a level since he was 18 years old and now he’s almost 40 and still dominating. You just don’t see basketball players continue to play at that elite level at that age,” Thomas said. “And to now be named the MVP of the Olympics just shows the longevity of his dominant career.
“LeBron is someone who gets a lot of criticism, and it’s expected, especially when the GOAT debates started. But when he leaves the game at whatever age he decides to leave and people look back at his entire career, then they will have more of an appreciation for him. But the GOAT debates will continue forever.”
This was the first time that James, Curry, and Durant teamed up while donning the red, white, and blue, and it will likely be the last. After all, James will be 40 in four months, while Curry is 36 and Durant is 35. This begs the question: who will lead Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles?
“Anthony Edwards would be my first guess,” Thomas said.
There’s no question who will lead France going forward. Victor Wembanyama was sensational against Team USA, contributing 26 points, seven rebounds, and three 3s. The 20-year-old phenom shined on the Olympic stage, just as he dominated in the NBA as a rookie.
“Wemby is going to be a special player for a long time,” Thomas said. “He’s only 20 years old! D-Wade said during the broadcast that he is an alien, and that has become the highest compliment you could give a player. But he’s right! He’s 7-foot-6, can handle the ball like a point guard, can shoot like a shooting guard, has a ridiculous wingspan, and is agile on the court. He is definitely an alien.
“Seeing Wemby get emotional after the loss really showed his overall passion for the game. He gave it his all. This loss will surely be a learning experience that he will never forget, and it will motivate him to keep working and improving. He’s going to be scary good when he hits his prime.”
Alex Kennedy is an NBA reporter, editor and podcaster. He has covered the NBA for the last 19 years, writing for ESPN, HoopsHype, USA TODAY Sports, Bleacher Report, and Basketball News among others. As the Chief Content Officer at Basketball News, he built and managed the staff, which consisted of journalists and former NBA players. His Twitter account is featured in NBA 2K each year.
