Despite the roaring support for the home team, the Americans held their ground , finishing the first quarter five points ahead.
They momentarily lost steam in the third quarter but regained control with another five-point lead by the fourth, shattering any French dreams of a comeback.
The win prompted a playful response from USA Basketball's social media , seemingly taking a jab at America's 100-meter sprint champion Noah Lyles' earlier criticism. Lyles had questioned NBA teams labeling themselves 'World Champions' when the league is predominantly North American.
"You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have 'world champion' on their head," Lyles commented. "World champion of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong, I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world."
Lyles' viewpoint ruffled feathers among basketball enthusiasts, and despite his own Olympic success, some fans were annoyed enough to root against him during his track events in Paris. The USA basketball team's social media page couldn't resist a cheeky dig following their Olympic victory, posting a picture of the jubilant players with the caption: "Are we the World Champs now?"
International fans have noted that although Team USA may be the Olympic champions, it's Germany who are the current world champions after their victory at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where they beat Serbia in the final, leaving the US to settle for fourth place following a loss to Canada.
In the world of athletics, Lyles demonstrated incredible determination in the face of health issues. After winning the 100m, he took bronze in the 200m but was clearly exhausted at the end of the race. He later disclosed: "I do have Covid," and spoke about his condition.
"I still wanted to run, they said it was still possible so we stayed away from everybody and took it round by round. I have definitely had better days but I am walking around again," Lyles stated.
Post-race, he reported feeling dizzy and experiencing chest pains, but reassured everyone, "I was quite light-headed after that race and the chest pain was definitely active. After a while I was able to catch my breath and get my wits about me. I am feeling a lot better now. It definitely affected my performance."
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