Where the 2024 'Steph Curry Game' Ranks Among All-Time Great Team USA Performances (2024)

Team USA entered their 2024 Paris Olympics semifinal against Serbia as a 16.5-point favorite, but during a first-half three-point onslaught from the Serbs, the possibility of an upset started to feel real.

Serbia built a 17-point lead, but a classic Stephen Curry shooting display kept the Americans within striking distance and eventually pulled them through the deficit and to a 95-91 win.

Timely shotmaking from Kevin Durant and a triple-double from LeBron James certainly had an impact on the outcome, but Curry was undoubtedly the catalyst. So much so that the internet is buzzing over how high this ranks among every individual performance in Team USA's Olympic basketball history.

Based on both the numbers put up in a given game, as well as the stakes of the game itself, these are the five best outings from anyone in the red, white and blue at basketball's biggest international tournament (since 1992).

Before we jump into the actual top five, let's shine a little light on some performances that barely missed the cut.

August 2, 2012 vs. Nigeria

In the greatest single-game scoring performance in Team USA men's basketball history, Carmelo Anthony dropped 37 points on 13-of-16 shooting in the group phase against Nigeria in 2012.

But as impressive as that total is, it was the way Melo got to that number that puts this performance in the top five, despite the low stakes of the game (which wound up being an 83-point win for the Americans).

We've heard of players getting hot, but Anthony was a genuine basketball flamethrower that night. He did the bulk of his damage as a jump-shooter, seemingly couldn't miss and finished with 37 points and 10 threes in fewer than 15 minutes of action.

Again, we're assigning some unofficial extra credit to the performances that came under pressure, but this is the kind of scoring display that transcends that rule.

August 12, 2012 vs. Spain

Four years after the Redeem Team, Team USA faced Spain, at or near the height of its basketball power, in the gold-medal game in 2012.

At that point in history, the Spanish basketball program was a well-oiled machine. The Americans didn't really have an answer for Pau Gasol, who had 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the game.

But Durant's clutch scoring helped carry the Americans to another Olympic tournament win. On a team that included LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, KD became the alpha scorer.

He dropped 30 points, grabbed nine rebounds and drilled five threes.

There are plenty of options to choose from with Durant (as evidenced by his inclusion in the honorable mentions), but the combination of scoring volume and real pressure from this game lifts it to No. 4.

August 8, 2024 vs. Serbia

It's pretty remarkable that in a game in which Curry led his team with 36 points and went 9-of-14 from deep, there's a real argument to send the player-of-the-game nod elsewhere.

Curry ably carried the scoring load, but LeBron did just about everything else.

He recorded his second career Olympic triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He went 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep. And perhaps his biggest contribution came on the less glamorous end of the floor.

In the second half of Thursday's semifinal, LeBron started defending Nikola Jokić straight up, and he did an admirable job of keeping the three-time MVP away from the paint.

He also got that familiar look in his eye when it felt like the game might be slipping away from Team USA in the first half. Once LeBron entered takeover mode, he gained control of seemingly every aspect of the game. And his playmaking and leadership on both ends slowly but surely willed the Americans all the way back.

August 24, 2008 vs. Spain

In 2004, Team USA failed to win gold for the only time since it started using professional in 1992. That gave Kobe Bryant the opportunity to lead the Americans to redemption in 2008, and he came through in multiple ways.

Off the court, Bryant was the example of consistency and focus that the rest of a young roster that included LeBron and Dwyane Wade needed to lock in. On it, his point-of-attack defense flustered just about every opponent's offense.

Then, in the gold-medal game against a powerhouse Spanish team that included his teammate, Pau Gasol, Kobe took over as the second-leading scorer and primary playmaker on a team that included LeBron and Chris Paul.

Kobe finished with 20 points, a team-high six assists, three threes and two blocks in 27 minutes, and the Redeem Team secured gold with a 118-107 victory.

August 8, 2024 vs. Serbia

That's right. We just witnessed the best individual performance in a Team USA basketball game since the program started using professionals in 1992.

Had Curry not played the way he did on Thursday, the Americans would be out of this tournament. Serbia was playing inspired defense, shooting the lights out and looked about as hungry as a team could for a victory.

In every close-up of Jokić or Bogdan Bogdanović, you could almost feel the desire to win emanating off the screen.

But while that may have been enough to neutralize much of Team USA's roster, it couldn't cool off Curry, who entered the semifinal averaging 7.3 points and shooting just 25.0 percent from three.

From the opening tip, Curry was laser-focused. He finished with 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting (including 9-of-14 from three). And he finally brought with him that same inevitability that followed him through the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

For one of the 10-15 greatest players in NBA history, a legacy game really wasn't necessary. Curry gave us one anyway, and the Americans will play for gold because of him.