James Worthy makes bold World vs. NBA claim amid Team USA Olympic scare
09/04/2024 07:09 PM
The USA Men’s Basketball Team went out and won the gold medal in incredible fashion this summer, defeating the host nation France in the final game. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was incredible, as were Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. NBA legend James Worthy was happy to see Team USA able still get it done.
James Worthy on Stephen Curry and Team USA
The Lakers legend and Hall-of-Famer made an appearance at the Harold and Carol Pump Foundation Gala late last month in support of cancer research. It was there that James Worthy spoke with ClutchPoints about a number of topics, including Team USA’s incredible play in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Well, you can’t go into a zone in the Olympics when you got Steph Curry and Devin Booker and guys that can knock down the three!” Worthy said when asked what he thought of Curry’s performance.
Stephen Curry knocked down four three-pointers in the final two minutes to put the game away for the Americans. His fourth three-pointer was a miraculous step-back three-pointer over Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum.
USA, however, received their biggest scare of the tournament in the round before. Nikola Jokic and Serbia held a double-digit lead over Team USA heading into the fourth and final quarter. Despite dominating the contest for more than three quarters, Serbia ultimately did not have enough to close the game out.
Stephen Curry and Team USA trailed 76-63 to start the fourth quarter. LeBron James tied the game at the 3:41 mark of the period and USA closed out Serbia, outscoring them 32-15 in the final frame to win 95-91.
“I thought they executed well regardless of what they were up against,” James Worthy added in an interview with ClutchPoints. “I know Serbia, they had to come back from that. That was a little scare, but they held their poise, they played together, and we have to continue to show that America’s still the best. When you look at the NBA, the top eight or nine players are non-Americans, so they’re catching up. But it’s good to see that we still can put together our best and go win a gold.”
Stephen Curry recently conducted a media tour in New York, and told People that the bond and experiences he shared with Lakers star LeBron James and his Olympic teammates are special.
“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in high stakes basketball with a lot on the line…I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there. Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not.”
Stephen Curry finished as Team USA’s leading scorer, narrowly beating out LeBron James and Kevin Durant thanks to his superhero fourth quarter performance against France.
Dennis Schroder, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic were named to the All-First Team of Men’s Basketball in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Franz Wagner, Guerschon Yabusele, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were named to the All-Second Team.
While the rest of the world may be catching up to USA, the Americans remain the dominant force in the basketball world. With the 2028 Olympic games coming to Los Angeles, it’ll be another opportunity for the international players to showcase their skills on a global stage.
The post James Worthy makes bold World vs. NBA claim amid Team USA Olympic scare appeared first on ClutchPoints.
