Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.

Stephen Curry saved his coach and his country in Paris.

Yes, NBA players now believe it is important to represent their country whereas they began losing that feeling after the first two dream teams suited up in 1992 and ‘96.

Watching the Olympics certainly showed that. Serbia and France had star NBA players and gave the Americans close games in the medal round before Curry had two of his legendary hot streaks and bailed them out.

It is still amazing that Curry, despite being a skinny kid in high school with a good game, was not offered a scholarship by a single ACC coaching staff. Curry went to Davidson and his fame grew along with his game and his body. Now he is known as the greatest shooter in the history of basketball.

And he is so likeable that he offset the mixed feelings many NBA fans have toward the Olympics. Coach Steve Kerr lost support across the country when he barely played Celtics star Jayson Tatum and benched him for both games against Serbia when his defensive length would have helped against their outside shooting.

And many NBA fans are more invested in their own teams than an all-star international squad that has rivals among the 12 players on the roster. Celtics fans are all over the country and they were not only pissed at Kerr, they have mixed feelings about rooting for certain stars from other arch rivals.

LeBron James is one of the most popular and disliked NBA players. Also true for Kevin Durant jumping from team to team, or underrated Bam Adebayo or cocky Anthony Edwards or injury prone Joel Embiid. Surely, some rival fans of the Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves and 76ers feel the way Celtic haters feel.

How Curry plays the game and gets hot down the stretch to complete comebacks for the Warriors makes him an international hero when he does that in the Olympics. He just has that even demeanor when he sticks dagger after dagger, shimmying his shoulders occasionally and rarely pounding his own chest.

Does Team USA come all the way back against Serbia if not for Curry’s 60 points and 17 three-pointers in the semifinals and gold medal win over France? Probably not, making him a heart-wrenching hero around the world. No one else on the team gets that kind of free pass.

He saved Kerr from adding a loss on top of constant criticism over his lineups and substitution pattern, roasted by most major sports commentators.

And when Curry said after getting his first gold medal, “I still got something to do, and go play for Coach Kerr” and the Warriors. For as long as he does that, America will be indebted to the beloved 36-year-old by fans of every NBA team.

Shimmy. Shimmy.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Mark J. Terrill

Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Heartfelt Win
LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry had to step up when Serbia was about to step over Team USA in Paris.
Chansky's Notebook: No-Win Situation
Steve Kerr was named coach of USA Basketball for the Olympics, so he obviously knows something about the international game. Or does he?
Chansky's Notebook: The King
What else could LeBron James do to distinguish himself from Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, besides becoming a billionaire like them?
Chansky's Notebook: No Walk in the Park
When the U.S. men’s basketball team opens Olympic play in Paris, the current members will have it as hard as ever to win the gold medal.
Chansky's Notebook: The Cheat Goes On?
Cheaters will find a way to cheat, and I bet the schools that have done that will find a way to keep doing it post-House settlement.
Chansky's Notebook: Unanswered Questions
The House settlement is clearly a football deal. But what happens to every other sport at UNC that depends on it?
Chansky's Notebook: SCHOLAR-ships?
Bill Belichick is picking up players from wherever he can. Do their grades from past schools even count anymore?
Chansky's Notebook: Resiliency
In one of the most dramatic major golf championships ever played, a U.S. citizen with a Mexican-American mother proved his mettle.
Chansky's Notebook: Run it Back
UNC will be playing in Rupp Arena this December. And for a college basketball purist, that’s about as good as it gets.
Chansky's Notebook: Keep the Faith
Though the Diamond Heels won’t be in Omaha, this year’s College World Series field is still a good sign for college baseball.
›