“My boy just got to Paris 3 days ago but we so glad he got here.” Anthony Edwards’s jab at Stephen Curry during the Paris Olympics perfectly reflected the mindset that several fans may have developed about the sharpshooter. Despite his 15-year experience in the NBA, Steph struggled during his international debut. Towards the end, however, his efforts prevented Team USA from being eliminated by Serbia in the semifinals. Curry also played a vital role in the US’ win over France in the gold medal game. French broadcasters even dubbed Curry as “Devil Curry.” So, Curry’s international experience was a mixed bag. The 36-year-old recently spoke about this.

The NBA star discussed his time at the Olympics with Bloomberg. Highlighting Anthony Edwards’ joke, Curry indicated that the low three-pointers during the first four games didn’t meet his usual high standards. “He (Edwards) was like, ‘I only showed up to Paris for the last three days’ because I was…. I saved all of my shots for the last two games. I didn’t play. I didn’t shoot the ball well. The first four, I think, only made like five 3s, and then ended up making 17, sorry 16, and it’s a two-game stretch.”

However, Curry had pictured turning his low number of long-range shots from single to double digits. He waited for the perfect moment to make these shots to ensure his timing was spot-on. “I visualized that for sure. You know, whenever the moment calls for it, I’m gonna shoot it,” Curry said.

The Golden State Warriors star couldn’t have picked a perfect time to highlight his dominance than in the semi-final game against Serbia. Led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia had put Team USA on notice.  Serbia took an early lead and maintained it for the majority of the game. At the start of the fourth quarter, Serbia led 76-63. Fortunately for Team USA, Stephen Curry stepped up. With LeBron James dropping a triple-double, Curry the majority of his 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists during that stretch. He went 12-19 from the field and, impressively, 9-14 from beyond the arc. The attempts were more than Steph had made in his previous three games combined! This contributed immensely to the US’ narrow 95-91 in US’s win, saving them from a humiliating defeat.

Even before heading to Paris, Steph knew it would take time to gain his momentum. Playing on the international stage for the first time, the 4x NBA champion wasn’t accustomed to FIBA rules and regulations. After all, they differed significantly from the ones established by the domestic league. In the exhibition series before the Olympics, Steph could only accumulate 14 out of 37 shots from long-range. With his average three-point percentage standing at 37.8%, he was shooting less successfully than LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Jrue Holiday.

In the end, however, the missed shots are less likely to matter. People will remember Stephen Curry’s dominance against Serbia and France. Particularly, the ‘night-night’ gesture he made. Curry was the hero for everyone back home, with even former players showering their praise on him.

“He kept hope alive” – Gibert Arenas had nothing but praise for Stephen Curry after the Serbia game

Reacting live from their studio, the crew over at ‘Gil’s Arena’ were in a state of worry after witnessing Serbia establish an early lead. Fortunately, once things started to stabilize, the mood became more joyous and Gilbert Arenas even brought out the American flag while everyone else kept chanting “USA, USA.” When discussing who deserved the credit for the win, there was no doubt on the former Warriors player’s mind regarding the same.

“I would say Steph because he kept hope alive,” said Arenas. “Like, there was moments in the game where we needed that three. Every time he shot that three, we needed it. Because whatever happened, it could have been a real blowout. Like, this could have been a 2020-some blowout, like the way it looked. But he always hit a three that kind of kept us there.”

It was the 36-year-old’s long-range shot, made with just 2:24 minutes remaining on the clock, that finally allowed the squad to take the lead. That moment in itself was something that even the player in question found one for the history books.

“Knocking down a big shot like that, you live for those moments,” said Curry, “(I) haven’t shot the ball well the whole tournament. But it doesn’t waver your confidence to meet the moment.”

What are your thoughts on Stephen Curry only bringing out his A-Game during the final games? Let us know in the comments down below.

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