Team USA took down Team France to win the gold medal on Saturday, claiming the fifth straight gold for men’s basketball at the Olympics. It took a complete team effort for the Americans to grab the win, with the French staying close the entire contest.
The Americans pulled away in the final minutes of the game to earn the victory, with Golden State Warriors star point guard Steph Curry closing things down. He hit multiple big 3-point shots to seal the win, leading many to believe he could win the MVP of the Olympic Games.
Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James took home the MVP honor instead. However, after the game ended, head coach Steve Kerr named an interesting in-house MVP of the team.
“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”
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
Despite having LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and others, Kerr mentioned Booker. This is likely due to the star guard’s willingness to take a lesser role on the roster.
When on the Phoenix Suns, Booker is a co-star to Durant but he is one of the main players on the roster. However, having to accept a smaller role for the betterment of the team isn’t an easy thing to do so Kerr likely wanted to shout him out.
Booker scored 15 points, dished out three assists, and grabbed six rebounds to help the Americans win the gold medal. He hit two 3-point shots as well, helping to space the floor.
Many players on the roster have had to take lesser roles to help Team USA win this year so singling Booker out is certainly surprising. But Kerr has come under fire for his rotations throughout the Olympics, including his benching of Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum in two different games.
“The hardest part of this job is you’re sitting at least a couple of guys who are world-class, some of the very best players on Earth,” Kerr added. “On one hand, it makes no sense at all. On the other, I’m asking these guys to just commit to winning one game and then move on to the next one. I have to do the same thing. And so I felt like last night those were the combinations that made the most sense.”
All in all, Kerr’s rotations will be a piece of the history but winning the gold solves a lot of issues. Team USA has claim over being the winners for the next four years and they will relish in that fact until then.
More news: Kevin Durant Creates Insane Team USA History With Win Over France
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