Team USA secured a gold medal against France in Paris on Saturday, thanks in large part to a dominant fourth quarter from Steph Curry, who looked like his old self after hitting three three pointers in the closing minutes to put the game to rest and silence the home crowd.
Curry led the USA with 24 points on eight made three pointers, while fellow veterans LeBron James and Kevin Durant each had excellent games as well – giving Team USA’s older superstars an incredible curtain call.
After the game, understandably, most of the conversation was centered around Curry’s late game heroics or the play of James and Durant, but at the end of his postgame press conference head coach Steve Kerr made sure to give a special shoutout to former Kentucky guard Devin Booker for his play on Sunday and throughout the olympics.
USA's Steve Kerr at the end of his press conference: "Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that."
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 10, 2024
“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player,” Kerr said, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post. “Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”
Booker finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes, while shooting 6-9 from the field.
His 28 minutes trailed only Curry, James, and Durant – a clear sign the 27-year-old is a critical future piece of Team USA going forward.
Team USA will attempt to defend its gold medal in Los Angeles in 2028, and while Curry, Durant, and LeBron are likely going to be done at that point, expect Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, and others to pick up the mantle and keep USA Basketball thriving for years to come.