Three years later, they meet again in the Paris 2024 Olympics. France and the United States made it back to another Final. This time around, Les Bleus has the home-court advantage.
On Saturday 10 August, hosts France will take on the might of the United States in the Paris 2024 men’s basketball final, tipping off at 21:30 (CET) – and it comes with plenty of history at stake.
In a rematch of the Tokyo 2020 final, Team USA will be hunting a historic fifth Olympic title meanwhile France, three-time basketball silver medallists, will be looking for their first.
France vs U.S.A Head To Head:
Make it back-to-back Olympic Finals for the United States and France. The two nations played a couple of amazing games at the Olympics in Tokyo Final, with Kevin Durant and his teammates winning the more important one, taking home gold with an 87-82 win.
They’ll have to pull off something similar to win the Olympics for the 17th time. France, meanwhile, are hoping the home crowd could take them to their first gold medal after they had won silver three times to date.
Looking At U.S.A Team:
Despite concerns about Jayson Tatum’s role on Team USA, he’s only missed two games, both against Serbia. Coach Steve Kerr might view Serbia as a bad matchup for Tatum, who has struggled with his shot. With LeBron James and Kevin Durant taking most forward minutes, Kerr may not have found a place for Tatum against Serbia’s guard-heavy and big-man lineup.
Kerr is likely to tighten his rotation for the upcoming gold medal game, as is typical in such matches. Durant is expected to start in place of Jrue Holiday against France. If Tatum doesn’t see significant playing time, it could be a key storyline, regardless of the outcome.
Can this be the opening act of Wemby’s legendary career?
Victor Wembanyama, at just 20 years old, faces the monumental task of leading France against one of the most talented basketball teams ever. While it’s unreasonable to expect him to secure victory, Wembanyama isn’t an ordinary player—he’s already being hailed as one of the most promising young talents in basketball history.
Even if France loses, this game could serve as a key motivator for Wembanyama’s future successes. If he somehow leads France to victory, it would mark one of the most remarkable rookie achievements ever and potentially signal a new era of French basketball dominance.
The U.S. basketball team recognizes that facing France in the Bercy Arena will be a unique challenge, distinct from their matchup with Serbia and its star, Nikola Jokić.
The atmosphere in the arena will be intense as the French team, led by the promising Victor Wembanyama, aims to become the first to win men’s basketball gold on home soil since the U.S. in 1996. A victory could elevate Wembanyama to legendary status alongside French sports icons like Zidane, in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during the Paris Olympics.
