The United States won their 14th Olympic basketball gold medal in London as they beat Spain 107-100 in the final to defend the title they won in Beijing. Led by inspiring plays from LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and newcomer Kevin Durant, the US team have now finally buried the ghosts of 2004 when they lost to Argentina and won only the bronze medal.
In the final, Durant, one of the world’s brightest stars, led the way with 30 points. James added 19 with seven rebounds and Bryant, the old head by now, played his best in the final two games, adding 17 points. Under coach Mike Krzyewski, who took over in 2006 when America’s basketball reputation was at its lowest, the US scored over 100 points in five of their seven matches, including a record 158 against Nigeria.
