The only thing missing from legendary Warriors guard Steph Curry’s trophy collection is a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, and time isn’t on his side. Curry, a four-time NBA champion, made this clear himself.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Curry expressed his gratitude for the chance to compete for an Olympic gold with Team USA, acknowledging it’s likely his only shot.
“I approached this experience knowing it would probably be my one and only opportunity to play in the Olympics and be on this stage,” Curry said. “So, part of my relief and joy comes from that.
“I didn’t want to be part of a team that—like in 2004—didn’t make it to the gold medal game and win the gold. This is my one shot. All those thoughts are in your mind, even while you’re trying to enjoy playing the game you love.”
The Americans will face France for the gold on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT at Bercy Arena.
Curry, who is destined for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, has played in six NBA Finals but has never appeared in a Gold Medal Game. He’s well aware that despite some close calls, Team USA has won the last four gold medals. And as Curry noted, he doesn’t want to see a repeat of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where the heavily favored American team shockingly took bronze behind Argentina (gold) and Italy (silver).
Fortunately for Curry, he was still in high school in Charlotte during that disaster and wasn’t part of it. But it doesn’t matter; the memory of 2004 still lingers in the back of his mind.
“It’s an interesting dynamic because we all signed up to achieve a mission, and we’re just one game away from completing it,” Curry said. “We were under serious pressure for more than 30 minutes yesterday until we finally figured it out.”
Nikola Jokić and the Serbian team led the U.S. by 13 points in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s semifinal game. Curry’s 36 points—just one shy of Carmelo Anthony’s single-game record of 37 in the 2012 London Summer Olympics—helped the U.S. fight back for a 95-91 win.
Victor Wembanyama and the French team won’t be any easier to beat. Both teams are just one win away from the same goal and know each other well from their NBA experiences.
For Curry, this is the end of the road. At 36 years old, he has nothing left to prove in the NBA. It all comes down to whether Curry will retire as a gold medalist or not.
“It’s just about answering the question of ‘What’s it going to take to win one more game?’ and what that means for your career and everything else,” Curry concluded. “For me, it’s all about the Olympics. I know this is probably my only chance, so let’s go out and get it done.”
Steve Kerr, Curry’s coach with both the Golden State Warriors and Team USA, understands how much this opportunity means to his longtime player—especially after the Warriors’ disappointing 2023-24 season, which ended without a playoff appearance and saw Klay Thompson leave for the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent.
“He told me last week how excited he is to be back in the mix,” Kerr told 95.7 The Game’s Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky on Friday. “Last season was tough for all of us not making the playoffs, so advancing to a stage like this with someone as competitive as Steph is really special.”
Curry and the Warriors were definitely “out of the mix” last season, and they haven’t made moves that inspire confidence that things will be different in the upcoming campaign.
That’s why Curry’s one shot at a gold medal is so crucial. No one knows how many more chances, if any, he’ll have to compete for a fifth NBA title.
“This is what he lives for,” Kerr said. “He’s so excited to be, as he put it, back in the mix, back in the championship picture, and chasing something special. He’s absolutely having the time of his life.”
For Curry and Team USA, it’s all or nothing. And the French are coming.