PARIS, France — For the first time since arriving in Paris, Charlotte native Steph Curry looked like the best shooter in NBA history.
Curry was nothing short of awesome against Serbia, scoring an Olympic-best 36 points to lead Team USA to a 95-91 win to reach the gold medal round in the Paris tournament. Curry finished the game 12-of-19, including 9 3-point buckets.
Serbia led by 13 entering the fourth quarter. That's when the U.S. flipped the switch and pulled off an epic comeback to keep their hopes alive for a fifth consecutive gold medal. Curry gave the U.S. an 87-86 lead with just over 2 minutes to play. From there, it was all Team USA as they pulled away from what would've been a massive upset in the semifinals.
Joel Embiid had 19 points, while U.S. flag bearer LeBron James finished with 16 points, including a clutch layup to extend the lead in the final minutes.
Team USA will face host country France in Saturday's gold medal game, while Serbia takes on Germany for bronze. Saturday's championship game will tip off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on WCNC Charlotte and Peacock.
The U.S. men's basketball team has two players with North Carolina connections, including Curry. The four-time NBA champion is playing in his first Olympics in 2024. Joining him is Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, who played high school basketball in High Point before attending the University of Kentucky.
While Paris is Curry's first Summer Games, he's no stranger to international play, leading the U.S. to FIBA world championships in 2010 and 2014. An Olympic gold medal is all that's missing from Curry's mantle, as he's already won two NBA MVPs and is the league's all-time leader in 3-point baskets.
Golden State drafted Curry No. 7 overall in the 2009 NBA draft. Little did anyone know that Curry would soon be an all-time great and arguably the greatest shooter in basketball history. After an injury-plagued season, he was nearly traded to Milwaukee. When the Bucks rejected the deal, Curry became a leader for the Warriors and a dynasty was born. He and Klay Thompson united to form the Splash Brothers and won four NBA titles from 2016 to 2022, appearing in six Finals in eight years.