The United States men's basketball team has clinched its fourth straight gold medal in the Olympic Games with a 87-82 win over France, marking the second-longest streak in the event's history. (Team USA won seven straight gold medals from 1936-68.)
Team USA had quite a shaky start in its quest for gold. France handed the U.S. a shocking 83-76 loss in the opening game of pool play that snapped a 25-game Olympic winning streak dating back to the 2004 Games.
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The only other team to win the gold medal after losing its opener in the Olympics was the Soviet Union in 1988.
The U.S. Men capture a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal at #Tokyo2020! 🥇🥇🥇🥇
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 7, 2021
🇺🇸 #USABMNT x #GoldHabits pic.twitter.com/KIXUmqazUp
CONGRATULATIONS MEN!!! @usabasketball 🥇
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 7, 2021
Gold🙏🏾🙏🏾
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) August 7, 2021
USA 🇺🇸
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) August 7, 2021
GOLDGOLDGOLD
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) August 7, 2021
GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
GOLDGOLDGOLD
GOLD
GOLD GOLD
GOLDGOLDGOLD
GOLD GOLD
GOLDGOLDGOLD
GOLD
GOLD
GOLD
GOLDGOLDGOLD
GOLD GOLD
GOLD GOLD
GOLDGOLDGOLD
GOLD GOLD
GOLD GOLD
🥇 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣8️⃣ 🇺🇸 118-107 🇪🇸
— FIBA | #Basketball #Tokyo2020 (@FIBA) August 7, 2021
🥇 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣ 🇺🇸 107-100 🇪🇸
🥇 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣6️⃣ 🇺🇸 96-66 🇷🇸
🥇 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ 🇺🇸 87-82 🇫🇷
Four straight men's Olympic gold medals for @usabasketball!#Tokyo2020 | #Basketball pic.twitter.com/pGAiY8kRUK
Gold medal for my man @JaValeMcGee !!!
— andre (@andre) August 7, 2021
France's squad was full of NBA stars, including three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and Nicolas Batum, who was responsible for a game-saving block that lifted France over Luka Doncic and Slovenia, 90-89, and into the gold medal match. Evan Fournier of the New York Knicks also led the team in scoring.
🔒 In#TeamFranceBasket #FRAUSA #Tokyo2020 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/zkvbio068E
— Equipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) August 7, 2021
Bon travail, @rudygobert27 💙 pic.twitter.com/tT5cjaWbbf
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) August 7, 2021
With the win, Kevin Durant joins Carmelo Anthony as the only players to win three Olympic gold medals for the U.S. men's national team. The only other players to win three medals overall for Team USA are David Robinson and LeBron James.
Hey @KDTrey5: what are we? ☝️ #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/ov5hCE9n3h
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 7, 2021
COUNT 'EM 🥇🥇🥇
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) August 7, 2021
Third-straight Olympic gold for Kevin Durant and fourth-straight for Team USA! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kKnFx2MJ28
Come for the KD dunk. Stay for the fist pump.@TeamUSA x #TokyoOlympics
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2021
📺 NBC
💻 https://t.co/KUtVmoSGW5
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/vPnJznyzUC
Gold medal game KD is no joke 😏@KDTrey5 19 PTS through 15 MIN
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 7, 2021
🇺🇸 #Tokyo2020 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/SHZH1fhAdD
The win is also particularly significant for the Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, who join Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only players to win an NBA title and Olympic gold in the same year.
USA!! USA!!
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 7, 2021
Jrue & Khris brought home the GOLD for @usabasketball!!#Tokyo2020 | #Basketball pic.twitter.com/CRELQAIive
Khris and Jrue are the first teammates to win an Olympic gold medal and an NBA title in the same year since Jordan and Pippen in 1992. pic.twitter.com/LsC4ZtG4NG
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 7, 2021
OUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY. #TokyoOlympics
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 7, 2021
ESPN Stats and Information contributed to this story.
