Doc Rivers Names The 'Unsung Hero' For Team USA During Gold Medal Run

Based on the standards of the fastest man in the world, Noah Lyles, a dozen NBA players may now call themselves world champions.

Team USA went into a hostile Bercy Arena in Paris, France to take on the host country of the 2024 Olympics, France. The U.S. had a brief scare against Serbia in the semifinal game, but on Saturday came out like a team on a mission, which they were. There was just one more win standing in their way of getting what would be the fifth gold medal in a row for Team USA.

When the clock finally hit zero, it was Team USA who was victorious leading to the national anthem ringing throughout the stadium. Thanks to an amazing late fourth-quarter push by Steph Curry, the U.S. was able to win by a score of 98-87. Curry finished the game with 24 points on eight made threes, with three of these shots from beyond the arc coming with 1:15 or less remaining in the game.

Despite Curry's strong showing in the past two games, it was LeBron James who earned the MVP of the Olympics. Just one game after recording a historic triple-double, James added a double-double to his Olympic resume, scoring 14 points and dishing out 10 assists. The Stars and Stripes also got a great showing from Kevin Durant who added 15 points, and was again able to hit some extremely timely shots. However, even with these three future hall of famers leading the way and showcasing why they have been at the top of the sport for so long, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers revealed that there was one player who didn't get enough credit throughout the run.

While making a post-gold medal game appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast , Rivers made sure to give props to Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.

"The last thing and I think the unsung hero in the entire Olympics was Devin Booker," Rivers told Simmons about Booker's showing against France and the rest of the games in Paris. "I don't think he got enough credit because he picked up full court every second he was on the floor. I thought he was the difference-maker against Serbia with his ball pressure."

While the aforementioned big three had the loudest performances, Booker had a quiet yet clutch 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting while also adding six rebounds and three assists. While the game wasn't that long ago, many have already forgotten that it was Booker leading the team in scoring before Curry exploded. Rivers wasn't the only one who called Booker an "unsung" hero, as head coach Steve Kerr tabbed him as the "unsung MVP" when speaking to the media after the game.

"Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him," Kerr said at his press conference Saturday, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post. "He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that."

While many superstars may have issues adapting to playing with a team full of alphas, Booker made it known back in September of 2023 that he'd be willing to take a backseat to help the team get the glory. The background of his now iconic post stemmed from comments made by Kyle Kuzma who revealed what Team USA would need to succeed on X writing:

"USA basketball better get some nba stars that know how to play a role. Anybody can be nice with the ball in their hands but can you be cool with defending and going to the corner for a few possessions?"

Booker quoted the post with a three-word response that he spoke into existence, saying "I'll do it".

Throughout the entirety of the Olympics, Booker was as consistent as they come. He averaged 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 58.1% from the field and 59.1% from deep.

The gold medal gives Booker the second of his career as he was also a part of the 2020 team at the Tokyo Olympics.