Stephen Curry is not being modest in his preparation for his first Olympics. In Team USA’s final scrimmage against Serbia, the Chef is cooking early. After a rough first half, the USA needed a spark. That was Curry. The Olympic debutant set the Abu Dhabi stage alight with his long-distance shooting and exquisite dexterity.

With peril striking the USA as Serbia took a first-quarter lead, Curry sparked the unity within the side. He has 18 first-half points, nailing 4 of his 6 three-point attempts while also playing active defense. His highlight moment came when he drew a Serbian defender for a foul while subsequently hitting a three for a four-point play.

Emotions ran high on this one. Team USA came roaring into the contest hinging solely on the shooting arms of Curry. In his moment of glory, he bumped chests with his former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant while the rest of the bench surrounded the two-time MVP for his showstopping play.

Thanks to Curry’s outburst, Team USA was able to take a commanding 14-point lead (all in the second quarter). It took others time to settle, but once they did, the USA imposed themselves. Anthony Davis suffocated Nikola Jokic and played wonderful defense. Bam Adebayo played as the point-center at times and hit some valuable threes while Anthony Edwards let his flair do the talking.

This Team USA is slowly coming together. By the time they fully gel, it could be one of the most brilliant rosters ever assembled by the basketball giants.

Grant Hill is relying on Stephen Curry and LeBron James

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are undeniably the kingpins in the Paris traveling Team USA side. Their experience, wisdom, and acclaim are influential. And that’s exactly what Grant Hill, Team USA’s director is counting on with the trio’s presence within the roster. In particular, he spoke about James and Curry being the “unofficial co-captains”.

The goal is to help the youthful players understand the importance of being selfless and relying on the team. It’s how international basketball is played. And using Stephen Curry and James’ seniority is key to unlocking the basketball potential of budding stars such as Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton.

“For both of them, they were a part of USA Basketball before they became NBA Champions. It gave them a foundation, it taught them how to win, it taught them how to be a part of something bigger than themselves. LeBron understands and cherishes that, and Steph as well. LeBron and I have talked about that, the impact this can have on Anthony Edwards and some of the young guys the same way Kobe and Jason Kidd did for LeBron in 2008,” Hill said on SiriusXM Radio.

James and Curry have been part of every starting unit so far. When Kevin Durant recovers from his ankle injury, Steve Kerr is likely to add his unopposed scoring prowess to the starting lineup too. No matter how worn they are from their illustrious careers, the monster trio is highly motivated for the upcoming Olympics. One can expect Stephen Curry to maintain such a level of aggression and play at a high level as he does today.