SI

Team USA Men’s Basketball Team Signing Autographs for Each Other Was So Special

Kristen Wong

Screengrab on Twitter/ @usabasketball

The U.S. men’s basketball team’s historic Olympic run ended this summer with players set to take home a shiny new gold medal—and a trove of signed memorabilia.

Following their 98-87 win over France in the gold medal game in the Paris Games, Team USA stars were seen swapping various items for their teammates to autograph ahead of their flight back home. 

In the behind-the-scenes locker room video, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and the rest of the squad took turns signing each other’s shoes, caps, basketballs and jerseys in a sweet and wholesome show of team camaraderie. 

What a special moment. 

Team USA earned its fifth straight Olympic gold medal in what was a widely expected but still hard-fought finish this summer. James was named Olympic MVP while Durant became the all-time American leading scorer as well as the first male player to win four gold medals in Olympic basketball history. 

James’s and Durant’s autographs will no doubt be worth a fortune, as will those of other stars on the uber-talented U.S. men’s hoops squad. For Team USA, though, it’s all about making the memories last.

Published |Modified
Kristen Wong

KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

Home/NBA