‘Court of Gold’ chronicles Team USA’s journey to a gold medal in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
After Team USA failed to win a medal in the 2023 World Cup, doubts started to form on the United States’ dominance in the sport of basketball. The media believed that the rest of the world had caught up to the U.S.
In response to this, the NBA’s top stars decided to join the Olympic team. Players such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid comprised this star-studded roster. While the 1992 Team USA was dubbed “The Dream Team,” this current day iteration of the team would be dubbed “The Avengers.”
Team USA’s roster was a mixture of the NBA’s past and future. Young stars such as Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton were able to learn from their veteran teammates. For Edwards, it was a dream fulfilled as he got to play with his childhood hero Durant.
While the roster boasted some of the league’s biggest names, it did not guarantee a gold medal. Golden State Warriors and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr let his team know this.
Other countries such as Canada, Serbia and France were just as hungry to win.
Canada has always been a hockey country, but it has developed respectable basketball talent. Canadian players such as current NBA MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and NBA champion Jamal Murray have left their mark in the NBA.
“I’ve heard a lot of stereotypes about Canadians,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “One of them is that, like, we’re very polite…but when we get in between the lines, it’s definitely a competitive edge to us. Just to prove ourselves and kind of what Canada basketball is to the world.”
The reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led Serbia into battle. As he has shown in the NBA, Jokic is capable of backpacking a team and leading the team in almost every category.
San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama headlined Team France. Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert joined Wembanyama in the front court to create a huge line of defense.
Team USA would have to work just as hard as these teams and the rest in the tournament to be the last ones standing.
This was evident in Team USA’s matchup against Serbia in the semifinals. Led by the reigning NBA MVP Jokic, Serbia gave the U.S. a run for its money.
The U.S. overcame a 17-point deficit to win the game 95-91. Curry led “The Avengers” with 36 points, shooting 9 of 14 from the 3-point line. Serbia shot 15 of 30 on 3-pointers through the first three quarters. However, they would go 0 for 9 in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter.
It was on to the finals for the U.S., as they would face off against France. Behind Curry’s 24 points, Team USA would defeat France 98-87 to take home the gold medal.
The United States put any doubts about their dominance in basketball in the rear view mirror, at least for the time being.
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