"In the team of some of the all-time greats, they were all deferring to him" – Steve Kerr recalled how only one player was demanding the ball in the clutch at the Olympics

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"In the team of some of the all-time greats, they were all deferring to him" – Steve Kerr recalled how only one player was demanding the ball in the clutch at the Olympics originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When it became clear that Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics would gather the strongest possible roster at that moment, two names stood out in the eyes of the public — Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard. Although Curry had previous success with Team USA, at 36 years old, he still hadn't played in the Olympic Games.
As for Leonard, the incredible fact is that he has actually never played in an official Team USA game, even though he was called up multiple times. This time, injury was the deciding factor.
Even naturalized Joel Embiid was brought in due to Team USA's chronic problems at the center position in recent years.
On the other hand, several other players who shaped the league over the last 15 years could have easily made the roster, but team GM Grant Hill opted for an experienced, battle-tested group that mixed veterans with rising stars.
Steph was the one who closed out the games
This was the tournament of a generation for which Team USA had been preparing, and for the first time, the roster featured three players who defined an era: LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Curry. In past tournaments, there was always someone missing, but this time, even LeBron returned to the national team jersey after a 12-year hiatus.
Because of all the star power, nothing short of gold was expected, even though the tournament included Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, Canada with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Greece with Giannis Antetokounmpo and France with Victor Wembanyama.
After cruising through the group stage and easily taking care of Brazil in the quarterfinals, two extremely tense games followed against Serbia and France, where in the closing moments it was Steph who, on a star-studded roster, broke the games open in the clutch.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr touched on these incredible sequences in the Glue Guys podcast.
"First of all, I'm gonna refer to him as Stephen motherf–kin' Curry," he said. "That's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see him do this stuff. It's like, holy sh-t. Nobody has that mindset, nobody. On a team full of some of the all-time greats, they were all deferring to him and he was the one chasing the ball."
It wouldn't have been unfair if Steph had received the MVP award
Let's remember: Serbia led for 35 minutes and entered the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead. However, when it mattered most, Curry gave Team USA its first lead with 2:24 left in the game. Steph scored four more points by the end and, with seven of the last 14 points, led Team USA to the final against Wemby-led Frenchmen.
In the final, they faced a fired-up French crowd. Even though Team USA led for almost the entire game, with 2:58 left, Wemby cut the lead to just three points, only to witness an unbelievable show from Steph, who hit four incredible tough threes by the end to seal the win and the Olympic gold medal for Americans. Truth be told, it might have been one of the best clutch finishes in FIBA history.
While LeBron was crowned tournament MVP with 39 on his back, deservedly, having a triple-double in the semifinals and a double-double in the final, it wouldn't have been unfair if Steph had received the award. Stephen A. Smith was particularly critical of the choice when breaking down why Curry deserved the MVP more than James.
"Steph Curry was spectacular," Smith said on his podcast. "...I thought Steph Curry deserved the MVP because of that. Not because LeBron wasn't great because he was, but when you steal pivotal moments like that to secure the gold in two thrillers, Serbia and then France, you deserve the MVP."Curry's clutch dominance literally saved Team USA's legacy
Curry struggled throughout the tournament until the final two games, averaging just 7.2 points and 2.0 assists on 35 percent shooting overall, including 25 percent from three. But with 36 points and nine threes, he carried Team USA all the way, ultimately breaking down Serbia. In the grand finals, he followed that up with 24 points and eight threes — performances that will be remembered forever.
Chef faced criticism but exploded in the clutch and added one thing missing from his collection — Olympic gold. When watching Curry's performances from Paris, it's hard not to recall the epic show Kobe Bryant put on at the 2008 Olympics, where, alongside Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and LeBron, Kobe scored 13 of his 20 points in the last quarter of a tense final against Spain. At one point, the Spaniards got within two points, but then Bryant hit a three with a foul, famously turning to the crowd and silencing them with a finger.
Seventeen years later, Steph did almost the exact same thing to the hostile Franch crown and celebrated with a "night night" gesture.
Just as Kobe's masterpiece remains unforgettable, Curry's clutch dominance will be remembered for years to come, as he quite literally saved Team USA's legacy.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.