Steve Kerr described Stephen Curry as the difference after his 24-point haul helped Team USA claim Olympic gold with a 98-87 victory over France on Saturday.
Kerr's team held off a late charge from France to win their fifth straight Olympic gold, with Curry putting on a masterclass from 3-point range in the latter stages.
Curry shot 8-of-13 from 3-point range, sinking four of those efforts after Victor Wembanyama had dragged France within three points with three minutes remaining.
Despite working with Curry for 10 seasons in his role as Golden State Warriors coach, Kerr cannot get enough of watching the four-time NBA champion.
"Steph Curry ended up being the difference. The flurry at the end of the game was just incredible. Watching him never gets old," Kerr told Eurosport after the game.
"I want to give credit to France; they were amazing. It felt like we were going to break that game open but they just kept hanging in there.
"Congrats to France on the silver medal, it’s a great accomplishment.
"Winning a gold medal is a dream for any young athlete, so to be part of it is incredibly special, and I'm just thankful for the opportunity."
Wembanyama finished with a game-high 26 points for France, while Guerschon Yabusele also had 20 points, 15 of them coming in the first half.
France head coach Vincent Collet said: "For sure, it's a disappointment, because we expected that we could do it but, in the end, we have to recognise they were better.
"This is the greatest moment of my career and, to do it in Paris, it is something special. We had a dream to make it happen but it was impossible, USA were too good."
Team USA win basketball gold as Curry breaks French hearts
Team USA claimed their fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball with a 98-87 victory over France in Saturday's final, with Stephen Curry starring with 24 points.
Steve Kerr's star-studded United States side required a thrilling comeback to beat Nikola Jokic's Serbia in the semi-finals on Thursday, but a far better start put them on course for glory against the hosts in Saturday's gold-medal match.
The USA went into half-time with a nine-point lead thanks to some excellent early work from Devin Booker, though Guerschon Yabusele's 15 first-half points kept France in it, the highlight being a poster dunk on LeBron James.
France shot just 3-of-16 from field range through the first two quarters but got hot in the third quarter, outscoring the USA 25-23 to give themselves hope of a comeback.
Roared on by a vocal crowd at Bercy Arena – where Joel Embiid received plenty of jeers after rejecting the opportunity to represent France – the hosts made up more ground early in the fourth, thanks primarily to the efforts of Victor Wembanyama.
The NBA Rookie of the Year finished with a game-high 26 points – his first 20-point haul at the Paris Games – while also adding seven rebounds, dragging France to within three points with just under three minutes remaining.
However, Curry took charge from there, quietening the crowd with a majestic 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, and adding a further three jumpers before the buzzer.
The Golden State Warriors star finished with 24 points and was 8-of-13 from 3-point range, having also produced an incredible 36-point performance in Thursday's win over Serbia.
A couple of Kevin Durant free throws and a Booker layup helped the USA stetch their lead in the dying stages, claiming a record-extending 17th Olympic gold in men's basketball.
France, meanwhile, had to settle for a third silver in men's basketball, having also been beaten finalists at London 1948 and Sydney 2000.
Jamaica’s Beckford finishes 10th in high jump in Paris; New Zealand’s Kerr wins gold ahead of USA’s McEwen, Bahrain’s Barshim
Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford had a best clearance of 2.22m for 10th in the final of the Men’s high jump at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
The 22-year-old had a first-time clearance at 2.17m before clearing 2.22m on his second attempt.
He then exited the competition after three failures at his season’s and personal best height of 2.27m.
New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr took gold over the USA’s Shelby McEwen after a jump-off.
Both men had identical cards after successful first-time clearances at 2.36m, an Oceania record for Kerr and personal best for McEwen, and three failures at 2.38m.
In the subsequent jump-off, both men failed at 2.38m and 2.36m before Kerr successfully cleared 2.34m after a failure from McEwen.
Bahrain’s Mutaz Essa Barshim secured his fourth Olympic high jump medal with a season’s best 2.34m in third.
Emma Hayes in dreamland after coaching USA to Olympic gold
Emma Hayes thanked her late father for helping her achieve her "dream" after coaching the United States to Olympic gold at Paris 2024.
USA defeated Brazil 1-0 in Saturday's final at the Parc des Princes through Mallory Swanson's goal just before the hour mark.
Hayes only took over as USWNT head coach in May, after leaving her role at Chelsea, and tasted success in her first tournament in charge.
Speaking to Discovery+ at full-time as the celebrations started, Hayes said: "I'm very emotional. It's been a dream of mine.
"I have to thank my dad - he's the one who pushed me to this position, to be able to come and coach an unbelievable group of players."
Hayes' father, who she has long described as a cornerstone in her football career, passed away last year.
"I've got my dad's necklace on," Hayes said post-match. "It's got an American eagle, and he was with me today and that helped.
"The crowd were tremendous. Brazil were tremendous. I'm just speechless. I'm in shock."
The United States have now won five Olympic golds in the women's final - four more than any other nation - with this their first since 2012.
Swanson calmly converted to give USA the victory in the French capital on her landmark 100th senior appearance for her national side.
This latest triumph comes 10 games into Hayes' tenure and puts the poor showings at the 2020 Games and 2023 World Cup in the past.
"They have received me so well and taken on board everything I've asked," Hayes added. "They're tremendous people, players and role models and I love them."
Brazil have still yet to win an Olympic gold in the tournament, with this their third runners-up finish after also falling just short in 2004 and 2008.
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