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Nevada alum JaVale McGee is a three-time NBA champion and an Olympic gold medalist.
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Team USA defeated France in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics men’s basketball finals. Nevada alum JaVale McGee can now add Olympic gold medalist to his resume.
After an 87-82 victory over France on Friday/Saturday, the Americans claimed their 16th men’s basketball gold medal in Olympic history.
McGee joined Team USA as a replacement for Kevin Love, who needed to recover from a calf injury. He did not play in the final game, but he did see some minutes in previous games. The three-time NBA champion will be joining the Phoenix Suns next season with a one-year $5 million contract.
Pamela and JaVale McGee are the first mother-son duo to win Olympic gold medals in basketball. Pamela McGee won her medal in 1984 in Los Angeles.
What a run it's been for JaVale McGee‼️
2017: NBA champion (Warriors)
2018: NBA champion (Warriors)
2020: NBA champion (Lakers)
2021: Olympic Gold Medal pic.twitter.com/3fIAYVCs6U— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) August 7, 2021
This was Team USA’s fourth straight gold medal in men’s basketball, and Kevin Durant’s third straight. The Brooklyn Nets forward led the offense with 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Boston Celtics forward/guard Jason Tatum contributed 19 points, while leading the team in rebounds with seven of them.
Jrue Holiday’s stat sheet might not explicitly say it, but he was a very impactful player on defense. He and Khris Middleton were coming to the Olympics straight from winning the NBA Championship with the Milwaukee Bucks. They became the first set of teammates to win that title and Olympic gold medals in the same year since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in 1992.
France pulled off an upset in the Olympic opener with a 83-76 win over the Americans on July 25. The French and their size advantage did not make it easy during this last game either. During his postgame interview, Durant said his team was glad to have played France again as a form of redemption.
This men’s basketball medal became the 100th medal, and the 32nd gold medal, so far for the U.S. in the Tokyo Olympics.
