Sue Bird, Bryant Family Among Notable Faces Sitting Courtside to Support Team USA

Madison Williams | Aug 9, 2024

Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe look on before the game between France and Germany in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The stars showed out to support Team USA women's basketball semifinal game vs. Australia at the Paris Olympics on Friday.

Legendary USA basketball star Sue Bird sat courtside with her partner—soccer legend Megan Rapinoe. Bird won five gold medals with Team USA, and this is the first Olympics since 2000 in which Bird was not a member of the team since she retired in 2022. Rapinoe herself competed in three Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in London and a bronze medal in Tokyo.

Bird sat next to the Bryant family, including the late Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa and daughers Natalia, Bianka and Capri. The Bryant family have continued to support men's and women's basketball since the Los Angeles Lakers icon's death.

South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley has also been showing up to Team USA's Olympic games in Paris. Staley won three gold medals during her playing career with Team USA. She coached the team in Tokyo when it won gold, too.

Some members of the men's basketball team sat courtside, too, including forward Kevin Durant and center Bam Adebayo. Team USA is coming off a huge comeback win vs. Serbia on Thursday and will play for the gold medal on Saturday vs. France.

Everyone watches women's sports.

📺 NBC + Peacock

🇺🇸 #USABWNT #Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/U6MyCBmUTG

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 9, 2024

If Team USA beats the Australians on Friday, they will play in the gold medal game on Sunday morning. Team USA has won the last seven gold medals at the Olympics.