Once again, the challenge was too great, and the top step of the podium out of reach. Like three years ago in Saitama, near Tokyo, the French men’s basketball team had to be content with second place in the Olympic rankings. With silver medals around their necks, and the Accor Arena in Paris playing “La Marseillaise” in their honor, the French team saw the USA once again climb to the top of the podium. The Americans won the Olympic basketball tournament for the fifth time in a row (and the 17^th time in their history). Despite the best efforts of the French team, led by the imposing Victor Wembanyama, they ultimately lost out to the brilliance of Stephen Curry, the best shooter in history.

“The US are still the best team in the world,” admitted French captain Nicolas Batum, whose career with the French national team ended with this final. “That’s why they’re called the Dream Team or the Avengers. But maybe they’ll end up losing one day.” Wembanyama’s tears after the match revealed the depth of the French disappointment.

They dreamed of achieving the greatest feat in the history of French team sports. Defeating a team so dominant in its sport, no French team had ever done it. It would have been like the Lebrun brothers beating the invincible Chinese table tennis team in the Olympic final (they were stopped this summer in the semi-finals). But that dream is gone, shattered by Curry’s scorching 24-point performance in the final moments.

Stephen Curry’s ‘incredible performance’

“You expect them [the French team] to play the game of their life, because they’re gonna have the home court adrenaline, they’re riding big momentum after these last two games,” predicted the Golden State Warriors star on Friday. The American point guard, who is taking part in his first – and probably last – Olympic Games at the age of 36, stressed that the elite US team would not underestimate the French team: “You’ve got to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves as well.”

And he delivered on that promise. In the final minutes, the greatest shooter in history took charge, effortlessly scoring 12 points in the last three minutes, silencing the crowd. “Steph made some incredible shots,” praised American coach Steve Kerr, who still coaches Curry in San Francisco. On his final shot, taken “while falling to the floor,” French coach Vincent Collet saw Curry signal a “Good night” to the crowd, marking the end of the game. After a slow start to the Olympics, Curry elevated his play in the semi-finals (34 points) and the final, leading Team USA to the gold medal.

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