Team USA won their fifth straight and 17th overall Olympic gold medal in Paris. It marks Steph Curry’s first-ever—and probably only—Olympic gold medal. It is also Kevin Durant’s fourth gold, making him the most decorated Olympian in Team USA’s history.
Given the magnitude of Team USA’s win, NBA fans can’t help but sing praises for the two USA basketball stalwarts. However, there is someone who’s left unimpressed.
Chris Russo thinks Team USA shouldn’t be overly celebrating their win over France. In his segment “What Are You Mad About?” on Wednesday’s episode of “First Take,” ESPN’s “Mad Dog” blasted Curry, Durant, and the rest of the team.
“I am sick of USA basketball on the men’s side making a big deal about winning a gold medal. Stephen Curry putting people to sleep. It’s a 10-day tournament, [and] they play six games. You know what they were favored in the gold medal game? By 16 points,” Russo said,
“They got a million Hall of Famers on this team. And then Durant is tweeting after the game, ‘Look at me with all these gold medals?’ and he’s on the slide? Calm down, guys,” he added.
Steph Curry, Kevin Durant’s 2024 Paris win pales in comparison to 1976 Team USA win, says Russo
2024 is the first time basketball fans have seen Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James play together as part of Team USA—and it will also probably be the only time. The team that comprised some of the biggest names in the NBA toughed it out against South Sudan in the USA basketball exhibition showcase, and was close to being upset by Serbia in the Olympic semifinals.
Team USA didn’t make it to the podium at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, so this year’s Olympic team is some sort of “Redeem Team 2.0” in many fans’ eyes. But to Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, The most significant Olympic victory for Team USA happened in 1976.
“The most significant gold medal in basketball we ever won, without a doubt, is 1976, because that’s after we got absolutely killed in 1972 in Munich,” Russo explained.
“But the idea that we are going to make a big deal. That Durant. And Davis. And Embiid and Booker and Curry and LeBron, these are some of the greatest basketball players in the history of creation. And they beat Evan Fournier,” Russo added, seemingly insinuating that their opponents for the gold medal were not much of a challenge.
The 2028 Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, and Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James—the three NBA stars who led this year’s team—will likely have retired by then.
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