Team USA beats France to win Olympic Gold

Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, and Keldon Johnson are Olympic gold medalists. Late last night, the three Wildcats and Team USA beat France 87-82 to claim their fourth straight Olympic title.

A special feeling 🥇🥇🥇🥇
pic.twitter.com/mhtaihR8hb

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 7, 2021

Mission accomplished!

Four consecutive 🥇🥇🥇🥇 pic.twitter.com/9DwVl71GJ7

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 7, 2021

Bam Adebayo finished with six points, six rebounds, four assists, and a game-high three blocks. After a big game vs. Australia in the semifinals, Devin Booker was limited to two points, an assist, and a steal in 22 minutes. Keldon Johnson did not see any action. Kevin Durant led Team USA with a game-high 29 points.

That midrange game 👀@Bam1of1 x #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/qZCtl1wBTn

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 7, 2021

Team USA has won four straight gold medals in men’s basketball at the Olympics, and Kentucky Wildcats have been a part of each squad. Tayshaun Prince earned gold in 2008, Anthony Davis won in 2012 and DeMarcus Cousins was a part of the 2016 team. Kentucky’s three representatives on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team were more than any other college.

All in all, 14 former Wildcats have been awarded gold in men’s basketball: Cliff Barker, Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, Wallace Jones, and Ken Rollins in 1948; Billy Evans in 1956; Adrian Smith in 1960; Sam Bowie in 1980*; Tayshaun Prince in 2008; Anthony Davis in 2012; Demarcus Cousins in 2016; and now, Adebayo, Booker, and Johnson. (*According to Big Blue History, Bowie was awarded a medal by the President of the United States due to the US Boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games.)

Kentucky’s Medal Count Rises

Kentucky’s total medal count in this Olympics is now up to nine:

— Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Keldon Johnson, USA – Gold, Men’s Basketball

— Lee Kiefer, USA (UK College of Medicine) – Gold, Individual Foil

— Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Puerto Rico – Gold, 100m Hurdles

— Sydney McLaughlin, USA – Gold, 400m Hurdles

— Will Shaner, USA – Gold, 10-meter Air Rifle

— Mary Tucker, USA – Silver, Mixed Team Air Rifle

— Keni Harrison, USA – Silver, 100m Hurdles

— Javianne Oliver, USA – Silver, Women’s 4x100m Relay

— Gerek Meinhardt, USA (UK College of Medicine) – Bronze, Team Foil

Kentucky will have two more chances at medals. This morning, Dwight St. Hillaire will run for Trinidad and Tobago in the men’s 4x400m relay final at 8:50 a.m. ET. USA Track also confirmed that Sydney McLaughlin will run in the women’s 4x400m relay at 8:30 a.m. ET:

DREAM TEAM. You won't want to miss the Women'x 4x400m Relay final, today at 8:30AM ET on @peacocktv! #TeamUSATF pic.twitter.com/OiIxVD4RZ4

— USATF (@usatf) August 7, 2021