Victor Wembanyama and France stand in the way of Team USA’s last step to claim their fifth straight Olympic gold medal
After remaining undefeated throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics basketball tournament, it all boils down to the gold medal game for the United States men's basketball team. They will take on this year's host, France, in the finals. Both teams will partake in a single elimination game on Saturday to determine who will be claimed as the world champions of basketball.
Who: United States vs France
When: 12:30 p.m. PT, Aug. 10
Where: Bery Arena, France
Watch: NBC, Peacock
Just when we thought that Team USA's road to gold was about to be shattered by Serbia, the Americans led by LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, put together a cinematic comeback performance to save their hopes of winning gold in this year's Olympics basketball tournament.
For basketball fans, particularly those rooting for the United States and their favorite NBA superstars, that was considered one of the greatest games ever played. And for Team USA, it will forever be etched in their long list of historic success.
The U.S.'s victory against Nikola Jokic and Serbia on the biggest basketball stage last Thursday was also, frankly, a wake-up call that anything can happen in 40 minutes, especially in a do-or-die game.
Instead of being on the wrong side of one of the greatest upsets, the red, white and blue are now more equipped to take on the French men's national basketball team. They will be playing on their home soil, surrounded by what is expected to be an electrifying crowd behind them.
Unlike the United States' smooth run to the finals, this French team has had quite a rollercoaster ride getting here.
They looked vulnerable at the beginning of the tournament, losing to Germany during the preliminary round. However, they have since stepped it up and are now playing their best basketball, thanks to adjustments like benching Rudy Gobert.
Suffice to say that this gold medal game is expected to be an all-time classic, no matter the outcome. Here are three storylines to know before one of the most thrilling sports events of 2024.
These two countries are no strangers to each other. They've battled twice in the last two Olympics. First in the quarterfinals during the 2016 Rio Olympics and then in the finals in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Americans have gotten the upper hand in both tournaments, but this time around, France has more firepower, with Victor Wembanyama leading the way.
Wemby might not have statistically been the best player in France's remarkable 73-69 victory against Germany, but he's been a difference-maker, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The San Antonio Spurs big man, dubbed the next face of the NBA, is currently averaging 13.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in his first Olympics tournament. Containing Wemby will undoubtedly be a top priority for Team USA.
It will be interesting to see how Steve Kerr plans to do that: Will he start Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo along with Joel Embiid? Will France counter by reverting to their two-big-man starting unit featuring Gobert and Wemby? Most importantly, does the 20-year-old have what it takes to impact the game, similar to the way Jokic did? That's something worth looking out for.
One of the biggest reasons why Serbia led for most of the game against Team USA was because of the incredible shooting they displayed courtesy of Aleksa Avramović and Bogdan Bogdanović. The team shot 38.5% from the 3-point line and, at one point, were up by as many as 17.
While France doesn't have as many potent sharpshooters as Serbia, the last game taught us that anomalies can happen, especially in a single-game scenario.
We also saw how Team USA looked vulnerable when struggling from downtown.
Outside of Steph Curry's nine 3-pointers in the last game, the USA only converted seven. It also didn't help that they only produced eight points in the paint in the first half, which was why they were down by double digits at the break.
Shooting production will play a big role in this game, especially for France, who will need to keep up with the firepower of the United States, assuming the former regresses back to the mean.
After their alarming loss to Germany in the preliminary round, France made the key adjustment of inserting Guerschon Yabusele for Gobert in the starting lineup. Since then, the home team has operated with wider floor spacing and the paint has been less clogged.
Yabusele, who is averaging 12.8 points a game in this tournament, has been a huge spark plug for them, as have Evan Fournier, Isaia Cordinier and Mathias Lessort. The team significantly depends on these four, along with Wembanyama, who all need to play well if they want to match USA's depth.
Team USA's biggest advantage has been its depth. Against Serbia, Curry and Joel Embiid led the way. Who is going to be the one to shine in the gold medal match? I'm selfishly hoping it'll be either one of Anthony Davis or James, but regardless, if the Americans win convincingly en route to gold, they should force France to adjust to their firepower and pace.
But as I keep reiterating, so much can happen in a single-elimination game, especially when a team like France is getting a ton of boost from a crowd akin to an NBA playoffs-type audience. Team USA will be tested one more time against the future of basketball in Wembanyama in his home country.
Let's see if the United States will claim their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Saturday.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
