For U.S. basketball, there’s one acceptable Olympic ending — and the job’s not done

PARIS — Stephen Curry knew what he was in for when he joined the Team USA men’s basketball team.

The NBA superstar who had won four NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors, with six NBA Finals appearances in all along the way, spent the better part of the last decade facing the kind of pressure that not many of his contemporaries have known. But joining this national team, the one that bears the weight of the four consecutive gold medals and the 2004 team before them that earned eternal infamy by settling for bronze, was different.

Especially for an Olympics rookie like Curry whose advanced age (36) likely makes it a one-and-done proposition.

So when the Americans found themselves down 17 points to Serbia in the semifinal game on Thursday night at Bercy Arena, it should come as no surprise that Curry’s mind wandered into that dark place where gold-medal dreams go to die and notoriety lives forever.

“I came into this experience thinking that this would be my one and only time to play in the Olympics and experience this stage,” said Curry, whose 36-point outburst helped rescue the Americans in their 95-91 win. “So that was part of my sense of relief and joy (in the game). I didn’t want to be on the team that, (like) ’04, didn’t make it to the gold-medal game and get a gold medal in my one opportunity here.

“So you’re thinking about (all that) while you’re still just trying to have fun playing the game that you know. It’s an interesting dynamic, because we all signed up for this, to accomplish a mission, and we’re one game away from doing it.”

Oh yeah, in other words, there’s that part. The actual gold-medal game against France on Saturday night.

Lest they forget — and how could they at this point? — for this team, there’s no silver lining in silver medals.

In the wake of Team USA’s incredible comeback, fans and media members alike were quick to act as if the Americans’ final step was a foregone conclusion. But this French team that upset Germany in its semifinal, and that has suddenly found its groove after a sluggish start to these Games, is potent and proud in ways that have been on full display in this past week.

They beat Canada 82-73 in the quarterfinals, knocking off a team that featured 10 NBA players and was widely considered a top threat to the frontrunner Americans. The semifinal win over Germany (73-69) was perhaps even more impressive, as they knocked off the reigning FIBA World Cup champs while ending their 12-game winning streak in international tournaments (World Cup and Olympics).

Ever since France coach Vincent Collet changed his starters two games ago, benching big man Rudy Gobert so that he could use 20-year-old sensation Victor Wembanyama at the center spot and insert two key players (Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier) into the lineup, it’s been a whole different team. And then there’s the fan factor to consider.

Not only will the locals be booing Joel Embiid mercilessly from beginning to end, making him pay via their vocal chords for the controversial choice he made to play for the Americans after signaling a desire to join the French, but they’ll be cheering for their side with the kind of passion and pride that has been quite moving in these Games. Both in the Lille games before and the Paris games now, this much was certain: The French folks would pack the house, sing their national anthem beautifully and at extreme decibel levels, then give their boys every ounce of energy necessary to help them survive.

The players, as Wembanyama told reporters after the semifinal win on Thursday, have been genuinely inspired by the support. And if you think the chaos that came before was something, just wait for a game with these sorts of stakes. France, which took silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when they fell to the previous Team USA squad in the finale, has never won an Olympic gold medal in the program’s 11 previous appearances.

“This jersey brings to us that different energy that you can’t find (anywhere) else,” said Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs phenom who grew up 15 miles outside of Paris in the town of Le Chesnay. “You can see how intense we’ve been the last two games. It’s something that we all feel, as patriots. We love our jersey. We love our country.

“It’s an incredible, incredible moment. The fans, they made it hard for me not to cry. I thank them for being as they are, and for enjoying as much as they do this thing that we’re all living.”

Here’s another thing for the Americans to consider: What happens if Wembanyama actually plays well offensively in the finale? The big man has had an awful time with his shot in this tournament, shooting just 37.5 percent overall and 26.7 percent from 3 (8 of 30). He’s averaging a team-high 13.8 points (to go with 10.2 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2.2 steals per), but has hit just 6 of 27 shots in the past two games.

“You expect them to play the game of their life, because they’re gonna have the home court adrenaline (and) they’re riding big momentum after these last two games,” Curry said of France. “You’ve got to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves as well.”

Anything less, and they’ll be haunted by that history forever.

GO DEEPER

Olympic final is Embiid vs. the fans – and he’s ready for it

(Top photo of Stephen Curry after Thursday’s win over Serbia: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)