CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The United States men's basketball team opened Olympic group play Sunday by defeating Serbia 110-84 in Paris.
Kevin Durant led the Americans with 23 points off the bench while LeBron led all starters with 21 points. Charlotte native Steph Curry scored 11 points in his Olympics debut, including a thrilling 3-point basket with just 5 seconds left. Paris marks the first time Curry has represented the U.S. in the Olympics. Bam Adebayo, who went to high school in North Carolina, scored 4 points in Sunday's win.
Team USA's next game will be on Wednesday against South Sudan. It will be a rematch from July 20, when the U.S. rallied to defeat South Sudan 101-100 in the USA Basketball Showcase. Curry scored 10 points, shooting just 3-10 from the field in that contest.
The Charlotte native was twice a finalist to make the Olympic roster but opted out of the Tokyo Olympics and pulled out of Rio due to lingering injuries he suffered in NBA competition. Now, the two-time MVP is set to lead the American men in their quest for yet another gold medal alongside fellow NBA greats LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
The son of Hornets legend Dell Curry, Steph attended Charlotte Christian School. From there, Curry went to Davidson College, where he led the Wildcats on a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight during March Madness that made him and the tiny college household names. Curry finished his college career as Davidson's all-time leader in 3-pointers, free throws and 30-point games. He also owns single-season records for points scored and steals.
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.
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