After Steph Curry‘s “godlike performance” and Kevin Durant keeping the Dream Team 2.0 steady, late into the fourth quarter against Serbia with his 9 points, Team USA will step into the Finals to face the hosts. No doubt, the Hoopers have been full of zeal to acquire their 5th consecutive gold medal at the Olympics. Apart from the goal to win, there are these ‘moments’ that one won’t forget, including the big hug between KD and Steph. And it is going to be a hell lot sentimental post-Olympics, for Kevin Durant especially.

While talking about how special he feels to be part of Dream Team 2.0, the Suns vet expressed, “Special group of guys, you know time is winding down, we got one more game, and it’s kind of bittersweet you know because we are planning a gold medal game opportunity to get another gold but we’re not gonna be together once we finish here.” There are many special moments that we all have witnessed in recent weeks, right from KD‘s blowout performance against Serbia in the pool games, to Ant-Man’s windmill dunk, to every LeBron-centered comeback.

Kevin Durant touched on the off-court memories as well, further telling ESPN, “It was just a joy being in the locker room with these guys, on a bus, just talking life with these guys, and then hooping on the floor with them.” However, it’s not over for Team USA, as they have the final bridge to cross against France, with the unkind Parisian crowd jeering away rival teams.

Seemingly, the thought pulled the Slim Reaper back to reality, as he concluded, “This is the best team I’ve ever been a part of and I want us to finish it off with a gold.”

However, facing Les Blues surely won’t cakewalk for Kevin Durant and Co. as the host team has also evolved and gotten better over this campaign, overcoming Germany in style in the semi-finals.

Should Kevin Durant and Team USA be afraid of Les Blues in the Finals?

The Parisian crowd has been keenly awaiting the USA-France game, especially to boo the whole Dream Team 2.0, rather than only Joel Embiid, because why not? They’ve done it for every game, in every sport. Well, for Embiid, it’s been happening for the whole Olympics campaign. The global criticism has taken over, and we all know what triggered it. However, The Process charted 19 points in the last game, shutting down Nikola Jokic on the rim, and re-proving his ex-MVP status in front of the community.

On the other hand, it was not an easy game for France against the Germans, who defeated the former in the pool games. Coming off the 71-85 loss in Lille, Les Blues were determined to dominate their home court. And they did! After an early deficit at 12-2, Victor Wembnayama brought his team back into the game, tying the scores at 33 during halftime. The men in Blue did not let Franz Wagner and Co. take the lead further as they finished the game with a nail-biting 73-69 scoreline.

With that being said, the Vincent Collet-led side did not give Germany any chance in the second half, racking in points to cover their lead. Apart from locker room memories, Kevin Durant, deep inside, might be feeling uneasy before the finals. This is not a regular matchup and definitely won’t be a cakewalk like Team USA’s group games. Between the rising hoops powerhouse in Europe and the defending Champions of the Olympics, who will snatch the gold medal? Let us know your predictions in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.