Former NBA All-Star Credits Lakers' Anthony Davis For Being 'Hero' of Team USA

Valentina Martinez | Aug 11, 2024

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard LeBron James (6) and centre Anthony Davis (14) celebrate with their gold medals on the podium after defeating France in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Former NBA player and Olympic gold medalist Andre Iguodala shared that Devin Booker and Anthony Davis were the 'unsung heroes' of Team USA's historic run for a fifth consecutive gold medal.

Book and AD were incredible throughout. Unsung heroes.

— andre (@andre) August 10, 2024

LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant received much of the attention from the media surrounding USA basketball's win over France in the gold medal contest but Lakers star Davis played a quiet, pivotal role.

Against the French, Davis went one-on-one with Victor Wembanyama. Davis was tasked with holding Wembanyama down and he did exactly that.

Davis finished the game with eight points, 10 rebounds, one assists, three steals and four blocks. The performance was crucial in sealing the win against France.

Throughout the Olympic stretch, Davis averaged 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, two assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game.

Davis wasn't the only role player who helped the Americans earn the shutout 98-87 win over France. Booker was also a key player throughout the contest.

While the big three were off the court, Booker had 15 points, six rebounds and three assists for Team USA. His 15 points tied for second most points on the team with Durant.

In the postgame press conference, Team USA's head coach Steve Kerr heaped high praise for the Phoenix Suns player.

“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player," Kerr said. "Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”

Davis and Booker both played for Kentucky in college under former coach John Calipari. Davis led the Wildcats to a national championship in 2012, it is Kentucky's most recent title.

This is the second Olympic gold medal for Davis and Booker. Davis won his first gold medal with Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics. Booker competed in the Tokyo Games in 2020 to win his first gold.

The 2028 Olympics are set to take place in Los Angeles, but Davis hasn't confirmed whether he will play for Team USA when the time comes.

Davis has only said that he thinks he will compete in the 2028 effort for a sixth gold medal.

Team USA's win over France was likely the last time fans will get to see basketball legends LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant on the hardwood together.

If Davis and Booker were to compete in the 2028 Olympics, the pair would likely be leaders of the new generation of American talent to embark on another quest for the gold.

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