Golden State Warriors shooter Stephen Curry suffered with a bout of nerves prior to the opening matchup of the tournament in France.
Stephen Curry, a seasoned NBA star with the Golden State Warriors for over a decade, made a remarkable entrance into the Olympics during the Paris Games. This marked his debut on the Olympic stage, a notable first despite his extensive career.
Facing substantial anticipation and pressure before the opening game against Team Serbia and their standout player, Nikola Jokic, Curry admitted to feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. He noted that this level of anxiety was a new experience for him, as he hadn’t encountered such feelings in his professional basketball career before.
“I was quite nervous leading up to the game, especially before the national anthem,” Curry shared. “The atmosphere was incredible, with a packed stadium reaching all the way to the nosebleed seats. The energy was electric.”
Curry expressed how much it meant to him to wear the Team USA jersey and participate at this prestigious level, something he had been eagerly anticipating for years. He relished every aspect of the experience, from the opening ceremonies to the games, and his enthusiasm was evident.
Although Curry had previously represented the United States in the 2010 and 2014 World Championships, he had never had the chance to compete in the Olympics until now. This year, everything fell into place, allowing him to fulfill a long-held dream of competing on the Olympic stage. The U.S. team, with Curry in the lineup, is highly favored to win gold, and their strong performance in the opening game suggests they are well on their way to achieving that goal.
However, there are some concerns surrounding Joel Embiid. The Philadelphia 76ers star struggled during the game against Serbia, leading to speculation that he might still be recovering from the injury that hampered his NBA season. Observers have raised questions about whether his return for the playoffs was premature, potentially exacerbating his condition.
