“An absolutely terrible shot for every other person in the world” - Mike Greenberg crowns Steph Curry’s golden dagger vs. France as the most memorable shot in history

When talking about the unforgettable shots Stephen Curry has made in his legendary basketball career, the most famous one arguably is the long bomb he drained against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 that iconic broadcaster Mike Breen christened with a double “bang.”

However, in light of the developments in recent days, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg says the “Chef” will have to make space for another memorable one: the dagger he drilled against France to punctuate Team USA’s gold-medal victory in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

With the stakes at their highest in the basketball tournament’s finale against the host country, Curry delivered one of his signature performances, draining four of his eight three-pointers in the last three minutes to stymie France. However, it wasn’t just the number of triples Chef made but also the degree of difficulty that made his performance so unique.

With France's top perimeter defender Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier draped all over him, the shifty sharpshooter was able to still find a way to create space and drain one last trey that sucked the wind out of the French team and their partisan crowd.

An absolutely terrible shot

Speaking on “Get Up,” Greenberg, a well-respected journalist, crowned Curry’s golden dagger as the “most memorable shot in basketball history.” He explained that it wasn’t just about the difficulty level—which was insane— but also about its implications.

“I'm going to give Steph number one. It’s not just this fourth one, which is a miracle—he’s literally the only person on planet Earth for whom that's a good look. Also, the stakes—the team in that game, the significance of winning the gold medal,” the analyst said .

While the U.S. was ahead for most of the game, France had pulled to within three, 82-79, with under three minutes before Curry’s flurry.

“Think about the alternative. Think about if we don’t win that game. Think about the reaction if Team USA loses that day and we were in significant jeopardy of doing just that. And so, for that reason, and because of the spectacular nature of that flurry capped off by that fourth one, which, again, is an absolutely terrible shot for every other person in the world—I put that one at number one. I put that as the number one most memorable moment. It is one you will never forget having watched,” Mike emphasized.

Steph’s near-impossible shot over the two French defenders punctuated his Olympic stint that began slow but finished strong. The two-time NBA MVP averaged 30.0 points and drained 17 three-pointers in the semifinals and Olympics finals.

Related: "You could just feel it, the lack of respect" - Alonzo Mourning on the tense environment in the gold medal game against France in the 2000 Olympics

A good look

Plenty of potent scorers exist in the sport’s long and colorful history. However, there are only a few bad-shot-takers and makers. One of them is the skinny kid from Charlotte, North Carolina. Greenberg surmised that on that final play, two other legends were wide-open and could have taken better shots: Kevin Durant and LeBron James. But with the “Baby-Faced Assassin” in such a groove, he went for the kill shot.

“Let's face it, in the entire history of the sport, he's the only person for whom that was a good shot, right? He's literally the only person that has ever lived for whom that was a good offensive sequence. Anyone else takes that shot, we're basically revoking their citizenship for taking that shot at the end of an Olympic game. But for Steph, that's a good look because if he's within 50 feet of the basket, he's a threat,” Greeny stressed .

With France breathing down Team USA ’s neck, the possibility of the Americans losing the gold medal was real. However, the U.S. had Steph, who refused to let that potential become a reality.

It was a moment that encapsulated everything that makes Chef Curry one of the greatest basketball players of all time – his unwavering confidence in his shot, his ability to come up big in high-pressure situations, and his unrelenting determination to win.

Related: Predicting the Team USA roster for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics