Basketball greatness personified and a chapter coming to a close

The United States Men’s Basketball team showcased the Big Three that defined a generation of hoops in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the United States Men’s Basketball semifinal match against Serbia on Aug. 8, the Red, White and Blue overcame a 13-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. The five-play sequence by guard Stephen Curry, forward LeBron James and forward Kevin Durant put the nail in the coffin for the opposing team. Serbia could only watch in disbelief as the USA rallied behind their three aging superstars in a game where they trailed by as many as 17 points

The comeback win, along with Team USA’s eventual capture of the gold medal against France, ignited talks on social media and sports talk shows. National media classified the moment as a “storybook ending” for the three future first-ballot Hall of Famers.

Throughout the Olympic tournament, the United States relied on their three stars to create offensive advantages whenever they were on the floor. The trio led the team in scoring, with James averaging 14.4 Points Per Game (PPG) on 70.1% True Shooting (TS), Durant shooting 13.8 PPG on 72.8% TS and Curry penciling in 13.7 PPG on 65.3% TS. Despite being the three oldest members of the team, Durant, James and Curry were the offensive engines that won Team USA gold. 

Before the 2024 Olympics, fans had been teased with All-Star games and jokes in the media about potential team-ups, specifically between James and Curry. The two players, whose lives have been interconnected since birth — both were born in Akron, Ohio at the Akron City Hospital — finally played together at full speed. 

Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, the rivalry between the three players was the most anticipated watch in basketball. Between 2011 and 2020, all of the NBA Finals matchups featured at least one of James, Curry or Durant. 

The rivalry expanded beyond the NBA Finals. The 2017 Christmas Game between the James-captained Cleveland Cavaliers and the Curry-Durant-led Golden State Warriors is considered by many to be the greatest NBA Christmas game of all time. 

The James-Lakers Christmas game versus the KD/Curry Warriors in 2018 ranks No. 10 in the most watched NBA Christmas game of all time, with the 2015 Cavs versus Warriors matchup ranking at No. 8. It’s safe to say that the rivalry between these three players generated viewership from NBA fans around the world, as everyone wanted to tune in and see the best of the best compete.

Not only did the Big Three bring in more viewership due to their rivalry, but they also helped change the way the game is played. During the 2000s, the NBA was dominated by names such as guard Kobe Bryant, forward/center Tim Duncan, forward Kevin Garnett and center Shaquille O’Neal. The “deadball era” featured a slower-paced game that pumped value into big men generating post touches. The three-ball was seen as an ineffective weapon for scoring, looked down upon by coaches and general managers alike. Audiences were given a glimpse of the future of basketball with guard Steve Nash and coach Mike D’Antoni’s “seven seconds or less” offense, but it wasn’t until 2015 that teams and players adopted a new offensive philosophy. 

This three-point boom was reflected in the games of Curry, Durant and eventually James. This past season, all three expected future Hall of Famers averaged over five three-point attempts per game on over 40% from three, an extremely efficient clip. James, who has shown the biggest career play style transformation from his usage of the three, had his best shooting season yet shooting 5.1 3-point Field Goals Attempted (3PA) on a blistering 41% from deep. Durant continued to show off his excellent three-level scoring last season by shooting 41% from three on 5.4 attempts per game. And lastly, the greatest shooter of all time Curry did what he does best, averaging 11.8 3PA on 41% from three, an unprecedented efficiency number when accounting for volume. 

Despite their success and continual dominance during this past NBA season, fans speculate that the 2024 Paris Olympics was the final time to see the three greatest of their generation suit up alongside each other in a red, white and blue jersey. Due to their advancing ages — Curry is 36 years old, Durant is 35 and James is 39 — the likelihood of sports fans having the pleasure of all three playing at the 2028 Summer Olympics is slim. All three players have already stood their ground against Father Time, as historically most superstars experience a decline in productivity following age 32

With Curry finally winning a gold medal achieving the one basketball accomplishment missing from his pristine career résumé, and the potential departure of Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr from the national team, it is unlikely Curry will return for 2028. Durant cemented himself as the greatest scorer in Team USA Olympics history as well as the most esteemed winner, being the only basketball player in Olympic history with four gold medals. He also gained the record for the most points scored in Team USA Basketball history, male or female — surpassing center Lisa Leslie with 518 total points. 

With nothing left to prove on the Olympic Stage, it would make sense if Paris was the last time Durant suited up for Team USA. James, the destroyer of Father Time himself, confirmed that he will not return for the next Olympics. In an interview with NBC, James claimed that “[he] can’t see” himself playing in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.  

If this was the first and last time that all three suited up together on the same team, it was a moment, and a summer, that fans will never forget. The embraces after the wins against Serbia and France washed away  all those years of back and forth in the NBA Finals. Fan bases put their differences aside and rooted for the three athletes who marked a new basketball renaissance in the 2010s. 

While the Summer Games may be over, the memories that Team USA and their beloved aging trio created will never be forgotten. 

Jaden Hunter is a Sports Staff Writer. He can be reached at jadenh2@uci.edu. 

Edited by Jack Fedor and Jacob Ramos.

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