Olympic semi-final: USA 95 Serbia 91 Blue binds them. First Antoine Dupont was the Olympics poster boy, then Léon Marchand. Now the front pages of the Paris newspapers laud the march of the tribes.
The final week of the Olympics is all about their teams. On Thursday, France beat Germany 73-69 at a heaving Bercy Arena to advance to the men’s Olympic basketball gold medal match against USA. It marks the latest in a stunning run by the host country.
That morning the L’Equipe headline hailed their collective efforts: “Teams Solides.” The “strong teams” banner was cast over a picture of the men’s volleyball and women’s basketball victors side-by-side. They won their respective semi-final and quarter-final to strengthen omnipresent national pride.
This joy at victory warrants a sharp pain at its inescapable foe. Le Parisien spelt out both sides of the game’s coin with their headline: “Si Beau, Si Cruel.” What exactly was so beautiful, so cruel? The men’s handballers were edged out by three in their quarter-final against Germany.
For great emotional investments to truly pay off there must be a price as well. This is sport’s only law. Leading the march are French icons.
Thierry Henry’s France face Spain in the gold medal football match on Friday. The basketballers have sensation Victor Wembanyama in their midst. He was the number one NBA draft pick last year; he is the 2024 Rookie of the Year.
A 7-foot-4 alien who is already being touted as the future face of the league. Here is a wonderous opportunity to consolidate his legacy in the vicinity of his hometown Chesnay, a small suburb west of Paris. For passing fans in France and beyond, Henry and Wemby’s involvement should prove enough to provoke interest but in a purely sporting context it is to take the wrong lesson from this stretch.
Henry’s greatest feat is harnessing the attacking flair of players like Alexandre Lacazette, Jean Mateta, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki to score 11 goals in five games. Wembanyama may command Saturday’s headlines, but in truth, he struggled in the semi-final. 11 total points and seven rebounds in just under 32 minutes is a poor return for a player of such profound talent.
He shot 4/17 from the field and 1/8 from behind the arc. It did not deter them. It took all of them.
Time and time again, sport teaches us all the pieces matter. What powered France past Germany was the entire group’s effort. Guerschon Yabusele led the way with 17 points yet four different players scored in the double-digits.
10 players had at least one assist. That theme continued afterwards. The same stadium hosted both semi-finals in two distinct instalments, emptying the bleachers and filling them back up for fear of overindulgence on a wonderous thing.
Serbia stressed and pressed Steve Kerr’s outfit to the brink. They posed of them the ultimate challenge. Can the stars align? Oh boy.
Steph Curry shook off a substandard competition to hit 36 magnificent points and keep them in touch throughout the first half. Just. At one point in the first half Serbia led by 17 points, the biggest deficit the US have faced in a game since 2004.
Curry carried the fight down the stretch too. He delivered the go-ahead score and ended up one point shy of Carmelo Anthony's single-game U.S.
Olympic scoring record. Even still, he could not do it alone. So, they spread the load.
Joel Embiid, who was eligible to play for France, walked out in front of an absurdly hostile crowd and produced his best career performance. LeBron James had a triple-double and was a leader of men. Hall of Famer Kevin Durant had scored just two points with seven minutes left and his country 11 points down.
He nailed a three-pointer while taking a bruising hit to his knee as Nikola Jokić knocked Anthony Davis towards him. Remember, Jokić is a three-time MVP. The probable best player on the court.
That isn’t enough. In the battle of individual versus collective, more often than not the collective will triumph. The challenge all along was coming together for the greater good.
Each one of these strands makes it the ultimate showpiece on Saturday night. A final that has history and rivalry and stars and spite. A cohort of current and future greats who understand they have to give to get.
As Wembanyama stood over a late free throw, there was a streak of blood evident on his collar and neck. Afterwards, he was asked about it by the media. La Marseillaise was on his mind.
“In our national anthem, we talk about blood,” the 20-year-old said. “We’re willing to spill blood on the court. So, it is no big deal.
If it allows us to win gold, I’m offering. Take all of it.”.
