When the stakes were high, Team USA unleashed its star power in the Paris Olympic Men’s Basketball Semi-Final against Serbia. The Big Three, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant stepped up in the fourth quarter and led their team to a thrilling 95-91 victory. This impressive win thrilled Isiah Thomas, prompting him to send a heartwarming message to the NBA stars.
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Shortly after the game’s conclusion, the 63-year-old took to X to share his excitement. He was thankful for the opportunity to watch generational talents like James, Curry, and KD come together to save the nation’s day. Outlining his thoughts publicly, Thomas wrote,
“So happy that in my lifetime I’ve had the pleasure of watching the NBA generational game changers Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry play together on the same team, love it USA Basketball”.
So happy that in my lifetime I’ve had the pleasure of watching the @nba generational game changers @KDTrey5 @KingJames @StephenCurry30 play together on the same team, love it @usabasketball #Olympics2024Paris
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) August 9, 2024
Thomas’ high praise for the trio pointed to their remarkable achievements. James, for instance, redefined what it meant to be a complete player. Alongside becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 40,474 points, he also ranked fourth all-time in assists with 11,009. His ability to change the games inspired generations while securing him 4 titles, 4 MVPs, and 20 All-Star selections.
At the same time, Curry paved the way for a new era with remarkable long-range shooting. His rise to the mountaintop after a rocky start to his career also instilled faith in the aspirants. Moreover, all these translated to exceptional success as he remained the only unanimous NBA MVP ever to this day while matching James’ feat of 4 championships.
Durant became synonymous with consistency. Putting his 6ft 11″ stature to great use, the 35-year-old arguably became one of the greatest scorers. Leading the NBA four times in scoring, his career average of 27.3 points per game set a high benchmark around the league.
The trio’s greatness reached its peak against Serbia. While Curry led the way with 36 points, Durant took the pressure off his team’s shoulders with 9 points and 3 rebounds. James’ heroics became the highlight as his 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists made him the first-ever Olympian to record two triple-doubles.
Thomas echoed the inner feelings of the Team USA fanbase when he thanked the management for bringing together these three stars on the same squad. Luckily, this feeling had been mutual among the players from day one, with KD pointing to the same after the recent victory.
What did Kevin Durant say?
The rollercoaster nature of the semi-final clash put Team USA on the verge of defeat on multiple occasions. However, the squad stuck together and pulled off an unforgettable victory. This undoubtedly brought the roster close to one another, with Durant hinting at precisely this during the post-game interview. Crediting Curry and James for their contributions, he mentioned,
“One of the best games I have ever been a part of… We barely called plays. We just played off of each other well. It was a lot of non-verbal actions out there. Guys just knew each other where we going to be on both ends of the floor. It was special. Steph Curry… He came and had the best night out of anybody in the whole tournament… Bron playing extremely hard the whole game. It was incredible”.
So, this victory prepared them for the challenges of the final. After all, the host nation France awaited them in the gold medal game. All factors pointed to how this upcoming clash would be no different than the semi-final drama. As a result, the roster must repeat its greatness for one last time to help Team USA clinch its fifth consecutive gold medal.
