Team USA Men’s Basketball won its fifth straight — and 17th overall — Olympic gold medal today in Paris in the Men’s 5×5 Basketball Final after 98-87 win over France.
With 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA League Champions on the roster, Team USA was set up for a successful run from the jump. Three-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, who is Team USA’s all-time Olympic total points leader, brought the heat in the final, with 15 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. “Set a goal and work every day for it until you achieve it,” says Durant.
Joining the team in his first Olympic appearance since 2012, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James helped lead Team USA to victory throughout the Games, contributing 14 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. “Nothing is given. Everything is earned,” says the King. “As long as I’m out there on the floor, I’m trying to be the greatest ever.”
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As the biggest champion for athletes and sport, Nike has always listened to the voice of the athlete. Nothing captures that commitment better than the LeBron James Innovation Center, which is home to the Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL), where Nike gathers insights from both the world’s most elite and everyday athletes to create the future of sport.
Ahead of the Olympic Games, the men’s team participated in the USA Basketball Showcase, which highlighted their dominance on the court and solidified their strategy and ability to win as a team — something KD and his Phoenix Suns teammate, Nike signature athlete Devin Booker, who was also part of the gold-medal winning team in Tokyo, are quite familiar with. “I play to be the best,” says Booker.
Nike Basketball athletes are growing the game of basketball around the world. Since 2004, Nike signature athletes, such as LeBron and KD, have visited more than 20 cities throughout Greater China to promote grassroots basketball, serving local communities and inspiring the region’s next generation of players.
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Nike Newsroom contributed to this recap