KD Applauds Steph’s ‘Incredible’ Heroism in Team USA’s Comeback Win originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Kevin Durant and Steve Kerr witnessed Steph Curry’s greatness up close, but Thursday was different.
Like his NBA teammate and coach, respectively, Durant and Kerr have been impressed with Curry’s performances with the Warriors over the years. But playing with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer, Curry’s heroics to save the Americans on Thursday were even more special.
“It was special to be a part of. Steph Curry, we talked about every game, someone had to step up. It could be your night. And he came in and had the best night of anyone in the entire tournament,” Durant told reporters. post-game. “[it was] It’s so amazing to see him hit shots to keep us afloat. [LeBron James] played amazing. Joel [Embiid] It was crazy tonight. It was incredible. I just love what everyone did.
“I think this game will go down as one of the most memorable games.”
Curry, playing in his first Olympics, struggled to find his rhythm in the first four games this summer. But everyone, including James, knew a Curry Flurry was about to happen.
And it happened, just when the US team needed it most.
Curry scored 36 points and had 20 more in a 95-91 comeback win in 33 minutes. He took 19 shots and made 12, adding eight rebounds.
The 3-point king scored his first two points of the day 11 seconds into the game. He finished with 17 points and five 3-pointers after the first quarter.
In Team USA’s first four games at the Olympics, he made just five 3s.
“Everyone is trying to find their rhythm within the group,” Durant explained. “We subbed five at a time, some guys are playing roles they’ve never played before. It could be any guy that had that moment. Then he hit the first shot and started in the first quarter. He had 17 of our first 20 points were looking for him. He was shooting the ball and turning. And I think he was looking for that kind of game throughout the Olympics.
“And having him here, especially when we needed him, was special to see.”
Team USA lost as many as 17 points against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. But with the gold medal on the line and time running out, Durant revealed what was said during a timeout to help get the guys back on track.
“We just wanted to get to single digits in seven minutes,” Durant said. “That’s all we were talking about. We got to five or seven with seven minutes left. We got to five and defensively we got even bigger. We got stops when we needed to. We made them make mistakes.”
Durant and Curry’s union in the Bay Area resulted in three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two championships.
A James-Curry duo has been dreamed of for years by NBA fans, but a James-Curry-Durant trifecta will suffice for now — and they’re enjoying it just as much.
“It’s a special group of guys,” Durant said. “Time is running out, we have one more game. It’s kind of bittersweet because we’re playing in the gold medal game with the opportunity to get another gold, but we’re not going to be together when we’re done here. joy being in the locker room with these guys and on the bus just talking about life with these guys and then jumping on the floor with them.
“It’s the best team I’ve ever been a part of and I want to finish with gold.”
For Steve Kerr, who is coaching Team USA this summer but has coached Curry and the Warriors for the past decade, he wasn’t at all surprised by Curry’s heroics on Thursday.
At the forefront of Curry’s game-changing showcases with Golden State, Kerr has seen it all. But when asked where Thursday’s performance stood on Curry’s long list of impressive displays, Kerr was speechless.
“It’s impossible to rank Steph’s performances because there were so many,” Kerr said. “So many big games. But it’s different playing for USA Basketball than playing on an NBA team. You’re literally playing for your country, so it didn’t surprise me that Steph had the game he did. He always comes up big when he’s needed most .
“But it was the competitive spirit of the entire group that really caught my attention.”
