Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant Lead Team USA to 17th Olympic Gold Medal Over France in Paris

Team USA fought their way through a roaring crowd of French fans to secure gold over the host nation at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated France 98-87 to win its fifth consecutive gold medal, bringing the USA Basketball team’s total to 17 Olympic gold medals at the Olympics on Saturday, August 10.

As expected, America’s basketball stars had to pull out the win in an arena that had high hopes for Team France to win its first Olympic basketball gold on home soil.

But 24 points from Stephen Curry, 15 from Kevin Durant and 14 more from LeBron James — wearing matching gold sneakers — got the job done for Team USA in what also served as a rematch of two teams that played against each other in basketball final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with the same result.

The 2024 gold medal is the first — and likely the last — for Curry, 36, who was not selected for the 2012 London Games and did not compete in 2016 or 2020 due to injury.

James, 39, now has three gold medals, in addition to the bronze medal that Team USA disappointed in 2004.

LeBron James reacts in the men’s basketball gold medal game.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty

When PEOPLE asked James — who was named MVP of the Olympics during the medal ceremony — how he felt about beating France on their home turf, he said, “It was great. I don’t think we’d want it any other way to face the home team, so it was a great atmosphere,” in a conversation with journalists after the match.

Of the overall victory, James told reporters, “This is what we wanted. We all came here for one common goal and we took care of business.”

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The men’s final brought a host of A-listers to the Bercy Arena, including Jimmy Fallon, gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson, French actor Omar Sy, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe.

Jimmy Fallon, Sha’Carri Richardson and Carmelo Anthony watch the men’s basketball final at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Several former NBA stars came out to support, including six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, who opened the gold medal game by slamming the baton three times. The baton ritual was introduced at the Paris Games to celebrate France’s rich theater culture, according to Eurosport.

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Tensions were high from the start at Bercy Arena, with Durant sizing up France’s Frank Ntilikina early in the game. It took the referee’s whistle in the second quarter to separate Team USA’s Bam Adebayo and France’s Guerschon Yabusele.

With Saturday’s victory, Durant is now the most decorated American basketball player of all time.

Team USA’s Kevin Durant and France’s Frank Ntilikina exchange words in the men’s Olympic basketball final.

PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty

However, the loudest reaction from Team France fans in the building came every time Joel Embiid got his hands on the ball, prompting thunderous boos that the Cameroonian stepped up to help his side win the gold medal.

Embiid — who became a target of French basketball fans when he chose to play for Team USA instead of Team France — scored just four points Saturday, including a pair of free throws that drew near-deafening roars from the crowd, but contributed to the win with some big defensive plays. games.

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Before Saturday’s clash, the Olympic champions had narrowly advanced to the final after spending most of their semi-final round against Serbia trailing by double digits on August 8.

It was a heroic effort from four-time NBA champion Curry, who scored 36 points in the United States’ comeback win.

After the semifinals, Curry told reporters, including PEOPLE, “I came into this experience thinking this is going to be my only time playing in the Olympics and experiencing this stage. I don’t want to be on a team that isn’t going to get to the gold medal game and get a gold medal in my only chance here, so all those things you think about while you’re still just trying to have fun playing the game you love.”

To find out more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com and check out the live coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympic newsletter, to deliver the biggest stories from the Games straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics starting July 26 on NBC and Peacock.

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Source: HIS Education