PARIS (France) - He shot, he scored, he conquered. Again, and again, and again and again!
Stephen Curry held his nerve with timely scoring against France to ensure he was among the all-time clutchiest players in Olympic Final history.
But where does Steph rank in this Top 5 and what are the five most clutch shots/sequences in Olympic Final history?
5- 1972: The Belov buzzer-beater!
The USA had been far and away the most dominant team in Olympic history when they showed up at the Munich Games in 1972, with gold medals won in all seven previous basketball competitions at the Summer Games. Yet Munich was different. The Soviet Union arrived with a tall, talented and experienced team intent on writing a new chapter in Olympic basketball, and they did, winning 51-50.
The game is best known for its very controversial ending in a highly tense political context. We're not here to revisit that drama. Set aside the context, the final winning play is as clutch as it gets. After a pair of Doug Collins' free throws put the USA ahead, 50-49, only 3 seconds remained. The Soviets were given three chances to inbound the ball, and the third time was the charm.
The Soviet team was brilliant in its final execution. That third inbounds pass was thrown to the other end of the court by Ivan Edeshko and into the hands of Alexander Belov, who then turned and banked in the game-winner before the buzzer sounded. Belov became an instant legend. The USA filed an official protest since the Soviets had been given the three chances to inbound the ball, yet they were confirmed 51-50 winners.
4- 2000: KG's IQ
The last two Olympics were not the first for France making life very uncomfortable for the USA in Gold Medal Games. It happened at Sydney 2000, too, a game the Americans would have missed had they not survived what the New York Times described as a near-death experience in an 85-83 Semi-Final win over Lithuania. In the Final, France, led by FIBA Hall of Fame guard Antoine Rigaudeau, made the Americans sweat by connecting from long range with 4:26 remaining to cut their lead to just four points. A few tense minutes later and Kevin Garnett all but buried them. First he made a turnaround jump shot and then, KG passed to Vince Carter for a dunk and an 84-74 advantage with just 1:35 to play. The USA won, 85-75.
3- 2012: LeBron put the nails in the coffin
Had one of the most awesome assemblages of talent not been on the court to face France at the last two Olympics or Spain in 2008 and 2012, the Americans might not have reached the top of the podium. One common denominator in the '08, '12 and '24 teams was LeBron James, who exuded an unbeatable air at all three of those Summer Games. He's among the top five Olympic Finals' all-time clutchiest players after a spellbinding sequence in London in 2012.
With 2:50 remaining and USA up 97-91, King James saw an opening, dribbled once from the arc and then took off and jammed it home in a truly thunderous LeBron signature way. After Marc Gasol's dunk cut the USA advantage to 99-93 with 2:24 remaining, James struck with a step-back 3 for a 102-93 lead that all but sealed gold. USA won 107-100.
2- 2008: Shhh! by Kobe
Before France's near upset of the USA in the Tokyo Final and then in the Paris Olympics title tilt, there were Spain v USA championship showdowns in 2008 and 2012. In 2008 in Beijing, the world saw clutch Kobe. The Dagger not only connected on a three-pointer a meter behind the arc against upset-minded Spain with 3:10 to play. He was also fouled on the shot by Rudy Fernandez and sank the free-throw for a 4-point play. After making the 3, Kobe put his index finger to his mouth and gave a "shhh" to the crowd. And the game then definitly turn in the favor of coach K's team.
USA held on for a 118-107 victory.
1- 2024: Night night by Curry
This is one that you'll have no problem remembering since it happened just several weeks ago, on August 10 in Bercy, Paris. In the last 2:47 of a pulsating, electric Final between the USA and France, the 36-year-old guard buried his last four 3-pointers.
At that point, the USA was up only three, 82-79, after blowing an 11-point lead (80-69 with 6:30 left to play), missing shots, or turning the ball over on the previous six possessions. The momentum had clearly shifted to the home team.
But then, Steph happened.
Four threes on the next four possessions. Suddenly, it was 96-87 just two minutes later. Those deep threes kept Les Bleus at arm's length, as they, too, were hitting shot after shot, threatening to upset the four-time defending Olympic champions. However, Curry's late flurry sealed the game.
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