Important events
Preamble
We all wanted this finale, right?
The American team is full of stars, with a few veterans looking to get another round at the Olympics. And then a very talented French team, with perhaps the best young player in the world in Victor Wembanyamaplaying in front of a busy home crowd.
Both teams have shown great resilience to reach this stage, if either team takes a double lead there is no reason to think the game is over.
Welcome to one of the most anticipated events of the Games, and for good reason.
Beau will be with you shortly. In the meantime, here’s Bryan Graham on the hostile atmosphere that will greet the US when it faces the host nation:
The Americans realize that France poses a different kind of challenge, amid a particularly hostile environment at the frenetic Bercy Arena, where the hosts are trying to become the first team to win the men’s basketball gold medal on home soil since the United States in 1996. It is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the inquisitive Victor Wembanyama, who in one evening could not only join Léon Marchand, Teddy Riner, Antoine Dupont and the Lebrun brothers as symbols of the Paris Olympics but also enter the wider pantheon of folk heroes such as Cerdan, Hinault, Killy and Zidane by beating the 17-time Olympic champions on the eve of the closing ceremony.
“We expect them to play the game of their lives,” said Steph Curry, an Olympic debutant. “They’re going to feel the adrenaline of playing at home, they’ve got a lot of momentum coming off these last two games. We have to expect them to play great, but we expect the same from ourselves.”
Below you can read the full article: