MIES (Switzerland) - The elite players that represented their countries at the Olympics all have one thing in common.
They loved playing for their national teams on one of international basketball's greatest stages.
There were USA's Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Serbia's Nikola Jokic and Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo, and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP Dennis Schroder of Germany.
There were players that have found superstardom early in their careers, too, that made it to the Games, like France's Victor Wembanyama, Germany's Franz Wagner and Spain's Santi Aldama.
Those players experienced seminal moments in their careers.
It was the first time that two-time FIBA Basketball World Cup winner Curry played at the Summer Games.
Curry had one of the most amazing two-game runs of his spectacular career at the end of the tournament and later spoke enthusiastically about his experience.
"It was a memory of a lifetime, for sure," he said. "It's nice the way it finished for me, personally, but we don't get there without all 12 guys on that team and it's definitely something that I will remember forever."
The way it finished? Curry was 9 of 14 from 3-point range and had 36 points in a come-from-behind win over Serbia in the Semi-Finals. He followed up that with an 8 of 12 effort from deep and a 24-point showing in the Gold Medal Game triumph over France.
For James, who had won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, the return to the national team was as sweet and important as it could be. He was named MVP of the Olympic tournament.
"It felt great to play meaningful basketball, literally for the highest level," James said.
In addition to his Olympic experiences of three gold medals and one bronze, a 2006 World Cup third place and a 2007 FIBA AmeriCup title, he's won four NBA titles, the last in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"That was pretty cool to know that from an individual standpoint you can be out there with the best players in the world, and still be able to have a big part of it not only on the floor but off it, so that was dope," the four-time NBA MVP said.
USA coach Steve Kerr was moved by the bond NBA adversaries Curry and James forged
"It was a bromance," Kerr said.
"There is so much respect. There has been for so long. But until you are playing on the same team, you do not know what it is going to be like. It clicked from day one."
While Curry was arguably the best player in the USA's toughest two games at the end, James was, indisputably, the MVP of the tournament.
He averaged a team-high 23.5 Efficiency Per Game, while Curry made the All-Star Five. In the 98-87 win over France, Curry was 4 of 4 from deep in the final 3 minutes.
The Olympic experience was so meaningful for Curry that he says it's also where he hit the most important 3-pointer of his career, his eighth and final one against France that has been dubbed the "Golden Dagger."
For that to have a crescendo moment like that was crazy
"It (Golden Dagger) takes the cake for a lot of reasons just because it’s the stage that is one game, the Gold Medal Game."
This remarkable shot came despite France's Nic Batum and Evan Fournier contesting with their hands up to block, even as James and Durant stood wide open on the other side of the court. (As seen at 2:06 in the video below.)
"It was the end of a four 3-point flurry that is still very surreal to me,” Curry said. "At this stage in my career, the fact that I hadn't played in the Olympics before.
"There was so much excitement and build-up for me just about being a part of Team USA basketball and being a part of the American Olympic Team, taking all of the sites and sounds. For that to have a crescendo moment like that was crazy."
Durant won his fourth straight Olympic gold medal and relished the experience.
"Being around some of the best players in the world, of all time, the best athletes throughout the whole world, representing my country, it was unmatched," he said before getting his season underway with the Phoenix Suns.
Nikola Jokic demonstrated once again why he's won the last three NBA MVP Awards as the Denver Nuggets' best player. In his second Olympic Games appearance, and first since 2016, Jokic played like an MVP for Serbia.
He rescued his national team in its overtime triumph against Australia in the Quarter-Finals with huge plays on both ends of the floor.
Jokic finished the Olympics with a tournament high efficiency of 31.0 per game. The closest player to him was Antetokounmpo at 26.5.
"I really enjoyed playing for the National Team, with my friends, represent my country, my hometown, my city, my family," Jokic said after rejoining the Nuggets. "I think it's a great experience and I think that every player that has an opportunity to do that should do it.
"It's a completely different competition, tournament. Basically, every game matter. If you lose, you go home. So it's very interesting, especially for players who could do that, I advise them to do it."
Antetokounmpo made his Olympic bow but only after putting Greece on his back and carrying it to victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus. He then carried the flag in the Opening Ceremony before leading Greece to the Quarter-Finals.
"That was an awesome experience," he said. "I don't take any moment for granted but being able to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 16 years (for Greece) that was awesome. The Olympic Village was awesome. Having 7 to 10,000 athletes, different body shop, different culture, I think it was the most diverse place on earth at that moment.
"To be able to experience all that and to compete for my country, it was awesome, an incredible feeling. That experience was one of the best I've ever had, win or lose. It was one of the most amazing experiences, being in Paris, going through the Opening Ceremony and being the flag bearer for your country, and being the first black flag bearer for my country, that was also awesome ... feeling the Olympic spirit."
Like the Greek Freak, Aldama was the MVP of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia. He then suited up for Spain at the Olympics, making his first appearance at the Games.
"It was a great experience representing my country," he said. "There is nothing bigger than that. I want to build off this summer."
Dennis Schroder followed up his FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP performance with a solid showing at his first Olympics. He wants to continue with Germany as long as possible.
"I love these guys," the Germany captain said. "As always, just to come to the national team is just the best thing ever, besides my family. Just coming to practice every single day, getting after it and at practice, we're screaming, we're trying to compete against each other. I never had an environment like that. Hopefully we can keep this going for a lot of years."
And one of his teammates, Wagner, who made the All-Star Five at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, took his performance level to new heights for Germany, who finished fourth in Paris.
Wagner has taken his terrific Olympic form to the NBA, where he and his fellow Germany national team star, brother Moritz, play for the Orlando Magic.
"He (Franz) has grown as a player," said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley. "As a leader, he is incredible.
"I believe that what Franz and Mo did in the Olympics, their ability to play at that level is going to help out. That’s how teams get better. Your young guys work to get better over the summer and then you add a piece of experience."
Last but not the least, Victor Wembanyama for France considered after the Olympics that the overall experience with his national team will help him improve as a player.
"I would say it's one of the most, maybe the most intense sports experience in my life. There's a lot I learned from it," he said. "Different types of experiences. Stuff that I learned I'm going to use for my whole life, my whole career."
FIBA