"Shout out to legends" - Barack Obama honors Team USA's remarkable feat of winning Olympic gold
Former POTUS Barack Obama honored the USA men's basketball team after they secured the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday. Obama took to X, formerly known as "Twitter," to share an iconic image of his meet with the team last month ahead of the Olympics and express his pride in the team for bringing home the gold.
He also gave a shout-out to the veteran leaders of the group: LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
"Last month, I had a chance to meet with the men’s @usabasketball team before they went to Paris. So proud of them for bringing home the gold! Shout out to legends @KingJames, @StephenCurry30, and @KDTrey5," Obama tweeted.
Team USA clinched their fifth-straight Olympic gold medal after they defeated the host country, France, in the finals of the men's basketball event of the Paris games on Saturday. The game concluded 98-87 in favor of the USA and saw a valiant effort by the Frenchmen.
Stephen Curry led Team USA's victory charge in the game with 24 points, one rebound, five assists, and two steals. All of his points came from beyond the 3-point arc as he hit 8-of-12 from deep. Curry hit four of the treys in the final three minutes of the game, which ensured the win for Team USA and helped him grab the first Olympic gold medal of his career.
LeBron James registered a double-double in the game with 14 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, two steals, and one block. He was named the MVP of the tournament for his dominant performance throughout the event and clinched his third Olympic gold medal with the win.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant recorded 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in the game and became the first US men’s basketball player to win four Olympic gold medals.
Steve Kerr commends Team USA roster after Olympic win
After clinching the Olympic win on Saturday, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr opened up about the experience of coaching one of the most talented basketball rosters in history and commended them for their winning mentality.
"This has been an amazing experience, a beautiful experience and very lucky to coach these guys," Kerr said. "We had a really wonderful group of guys. They were all very committed to winning and to each other and they didn't let anything get in the way of the gold medal."
Team USA was dominant throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, even during the exhibition games leading up to it. They led the tournament in points per game, field-goal percentage, 3-point shooting percentage, assists per game, and had the second-best field-goal percentage allowed.
They were undefeated throughout the summer and reclaimed the title of 'World Champions' after placing fourth in the FIBA World Cup in 2023.