For over 15 years now, Stephen Curry has been an influential figure in American basketball. By winning four championship titles, setting himself as the All-Time Three-Pointer leader, and winning several accolades, he has become a household name domestically. The 2024 Paris Olympics gave him the opportunity to prove his worth on the international stage as well, as he led Team USA to his fifth consecutive Gold Medal. However, was his influence in the Olympics strong enough to consider bringing about a change in the menu of France’s McDonald’s?

As it turns out, the answer is Yes. Although, it was not something that the player personally set out to do. In the aftermath of the Finals of the men’s basketball tournament between Team USA and France, the official Instagram handle of ‘McDonald’s France’ uploaded a post, carrying a picture of their Classic Curry sauce. As a joke, a caption was placed right on top of the sauce that read “pour des raisons evidentes, on songe a retirer cette sauce,” which literally translates to “for obvious reasons, we are considering removing this sauce.” Another caption was put on the side that stated, “Pour 4 ans minimum” (For at least 4 years). It wouldn’t have taken a genius to put two and two together to understand the context behind this post.

Stephen Curry initially struggled to make a mark during the Paris Olympics. He blamed it on the FIBA rules and standards that were quite different from the ones established by the NBA. However, he boldly put his ultimate prowess on display during the Semi-Finals against Serbia, which Team USA was on the brink of losing. The 36-year-old repeated his actions during the final as well by securing a score of 24 points, 1 rebound, and 5 assists against France, as he went 8-13 with his field goals and 8-12 with his three-pointers.

Four of those far-away shots were made in a consecutive manner within the final 3 minutes. By the time the Gold Medal was in his hand, the Golden State Warriors star had emerged as Team USA’s leading scorer, setting an Olympic record for the most three-pointers made in a final game. In light of this, the billion-dollar fast-food brand thought of cracking a joke at the expense of France’s loss. “This is a joke in reference to yesterday’s basketball game and Stephen Curry’s huge performance,” a spokesperson for McDonald’s France stated in an email to CNN.

Chef Curry saved Team USA from a loss against Serbia in the semis and was the most influential in the finals victory. Without him, the US basketball team might have had to walk away without a medal, and France might have finished on top. Therefore, by keeping the item on their menu, McDonald’s France may not have wanted to hand out a daily reminder to consumers about the man who cost them their Gold.

However, if McDonald’s wants to take the joke further, they can allow the ‘Curry Sauce’ to make an appearance in US locations. With the 2028 Olympics set to take place in LA, fans would need it to remind them of the player who brought the previous medal home.

Stephen Curry’s name and the name of the McDonald’s sauce are a simple coincidence. But thanks to their dominance on the NBA court, many basketball athletes have had some specific dishes named after them. Some have been bestowed this honor, while others have just created these food items by themselves.

NBA Athletes who have dishes named after them

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony entered the NBA in 2003 as part of one of the most promising draft classes of all time. Later on, he devoted the next 19 years of his life living up to that standard, securing his name in the NBA All-Star team on 10 occasions, winning four medals (three gold, one bronze) at the Olympics, and getting himself named to the NBA 75 anniversary team. However, amongst all these accolades, it would be remiss to not mention the sandwich that Carnegie Deli named especially in his honor.

Introduced back in 2011, ‘The Melo’ is a monstrous food item. It is a skyscraper of meats, as it contains over 3.5 pounds of pastrami, salami, corned beef, bacon, and, to keep the sandwich a bit ‘healthy’, lettuce and tomato. Filling one stomach would also drain one’s wallet since, according to CBS News, ‘The Melo’ cost $21.95 when introduced. The reasoning behind the price was based on the fact that selling 3 million of ‘The Melo’ sandwiches would secure $65 million in sales, the same price that cost the New York Knicks in its extension deal with the player.

Matthew Dellavedova

During his stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Matthew Dellavedova created a reputation for being a player who would often engage in physical antics on the court. In fact, according to a poll conducted by The Los Angeles Times in 2016, he was ranked as the ‘NBA’s dirtiest player.’ Despite this, he had a thing not many of his peers did: A burger named after him.

In May 2015, in order to celebrate National Burger Day and the Cavaliers securing a perfect 4-0 record during the Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers introduced ‘The Delly Burger.’ Being sold at a concession stand outside the basketball arena, the food item consisted of salami, capicola, provolone, gritty arugula, roasted peppers, and a tough texture of red wine vinaigrette. At $9.75, the burger might not have been that appealing to the eye but would have tasted different.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

In 2015, then Charlotte Hornets small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was honored with a burger bearing his name at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, in Charlotte. The turkey burger consisted of a raclette, spinach, fried leeks, and a topping of hot pepper jelly.

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley

It will be rare for the NBA world to see a player like Shaquille O’Neal again on the basketball court. If there is one thing that longtime fans know about him, it is that the four-time NBA champion loves food. As a result, he set out to share his love by introducing not just one food item bearing his name, but a whole restaurant!

Founded in 2018, the Big Chicken restaurant chain is Shaq’s brainchild. While it was only in 18 locations by June 2023, it is currently expanding at a rapid rate and will operate in over 300 stores soon. Specializing in Louisiana-style fried chicken sandwiches, many of the offerings are named after Shaq himself. Examples include the Shaq Attack, Shaq Daddy, Big Aristotle, Shaq Fu BBQ, and Superman.

Shaq has also named several sandwiches to honor some of the closest people in his life. One of them includes Philadelphia 76ers legend, Shaq’s former rival, and his recent ‘Inside the NBA’ co-host Charles Barkley. After all, with an item named the ‘Charles Barkley Sandwich’, one would not have to guess hard.

Dirk Nowitzki

Before the era of Luka Doncic and Co, Dirk Nowitzki was the name Dallas Mavericks fans most resonated with. The player was honored with a dish named after him, ‘The Dirk Burger’. Created in collaboration with Nowitzki and AAC Executive Chef Mark Mabry and launched in 2016, it is a 1/3-pound hamburger placed on a Bavarian pretzel bun.

The toppings included jalapeno beer cheese, arugula, bacon onion marmalade, and mustard horseradish aioli. Sold at the Mavericks’ home base of American Airlines Center, ‘The Dirk Burger’ made a re-appearance back in March 2017 in honor of Nowitzki’s quest for 30,000 career points.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.