Golden State Warriors shooter suffered with a bout of nerves prior to the opening matchup of the tournament in France
Michael ConroyAP
Stephen Curry, a veteran of over a decade in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, made his Olympic debut at the Paris Olympics.
Despite his extensive professional experience, Curry faced significant pressure before their opening game against Team Serbia and Nikola Jokic.
Stephen Curry humiliates Serbia with no-look three pointer in final seconds
Curry expressed his excitement and nerves about representing his country on the global stage for the first time, with the latter being something that hasn’t really cropped up in his professional life to this point.
“I had a lot of nerves pre-game up until the national anthem,” Curry detailed.
“The environment was really cool, sold out to the nosebleeds, and the energy was great.
“Wearing this jersey at this level has been something I’ve looked forward to for a very long time. I’m enjoying every moment, from the opening ceremonies to the games. You see me so animated because I’m loving it and want to have something to show for it at the end.”
Curry hasn’t been able to play at an Olympic Games before
Though Curry had represented Team USA at the senior level during the 2010 and 2014 World Championship tournaments, the Olympics had always eluded him.
This time, the stars aligned, allowing him to don the Team USA jersey on the grandest stage. Curry and his team are highly favored to win gold this year, and their performance in the Olympic opener suggests they are on track to meet those expectations.
However, there are concerns about Joel Embiid, who struggled against Serbia, with some observers suggesting he is still yet to fully recovery from the injury which plagued his NBA campaign.
Some believe the Philadelphia 76ers rushed him back for the playoffs, only for his physical condition to worsen.
