They say the hardest thing to watch is your own defeat. But ask Nicolas Batum, and he’ll tell you that there’s one loss to Stephen Curry he simply can’t resist replaying. Picture this: the Parisian crowd’s roar fading to stunned silence as one man steps beyond the arc and drills four three-pointers in the final 2:47—each more audacious than the last.
Even now, the Los Angeles Clippers veteran rewinds that moment, eyes widening, as he asks himself, “How on earth did he pull that off?!”
By the time the final buzzer sounded on Aug. 10, 2024, Team USA had secured its 17th overall Olympic title in a 98–87 triumph over France. Yet no stat line or medal count could capture the sheer drama of Curry’s late-game eruption: eight triples on 12 attempts, 24 points coming from beyond the arc, and half of them in the final three minutes. What a night. What a legacy!
Nicolas Batum Confesses He Can’t Stop Replaying Stephen Curry’s Olympic Showdown
Long before that fateful stretch, Curry had already rescued Team USA from an upset in the semifinals, sparking a run reminiscent of his four-time NBA championship pedigree. But it was the final act against France that left Batum speechless. With France mounting a late surge and drawing within three points, Curry turned to full-throttle mode.
During “The Young Man and The Three” podcast, Batum confessed, “Usually when something bad happens to you, you don’t want to watch it. But I look at that play again like, ‘How did he do it?’…They had to pull out the greatest two-minute stretch by him [Steph Curry] to beat us.”
“Usually when something bad happens to you, you don’t want to watch it, but I look at that play again like ‘how did he do it?’… they had to pull out the greatest 2-minute stretch by him [Steph Curry] to beat us.” 😅
– Nic Batum
(via @OldManAndThree)
pic.twitter.com/UnX1XS5zl5— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 8, 2025
His words tug at the paradox of sporting defeat: the sting of loss yet the magnetism of witnessing transcendent greatness.
In a contest that carried the weight of national pride and Olympic legacy, Curry poured in all 24 of his points from behind the arc, posting a 98–87 victory that extended America’s unbroken Olympic gold streak to five straight tournaments. A masterclass that etched itself into Olympic lore.
Batum’s reverence isn’t mere postgame bravado. In Netflix’s documentary “Court of Gold”, released in Feb. 2025, the French alum reflects on the emotional roller coaster of that final matchup.
According to Sports Illustrated, he acknowledged, with a mixture of awe and begrudging respect, that only Curry could have executed such a finish on the world’s grandest stage.
“As a player, it’s tough. But sometimes you have to respect, like, that was insane. 99.99999% of the players in the world would have missed that shot. Only one guy could have made it. Him,” Batum said.
Nicolas Batum on Steph’s golden dagger against France:
“99.99999% of the players in the world would have missed that shot. Only one guy could have made it. Him.”
(via Court of Gold/Netflix) pic.twitter.com/wwer9kUtrj
— CurryMuse (@Curry_Muse) February 18, 2025
For Batum, the Olympics represented more than a medal chase. At 36, with more than 16 years of NBA career behind him, each international appearance carried the weight of a legacy. Despite averaging a modest 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Clippers during the 2024-25 season, he wore the silver lining of that defeat as a badge of honor.
As the sports world turns its page on the Paris Games, the legacy of that night endures. For Team USA, it was another gold added to a dynasty. For Curry, another jewel in a career already luminous.
Defeat can be bitter, but in its aftertaste sometimes lies the sweetest recognition. That you have witnessed history. Batum’s decision to rewind Curry’s Olympic performance, over and over, is proof that true greatness transcends rivalries.
