Jrue Holiday Wins Second Olympic Gold Medal With Team USA
August 10, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Former UCLA guard Jrue Holiday helped the U.S. Men's Basketball Team win the Olympic gold medal for the second time in three years on Saturday, as Team USA secured a 98-87 win over host nation France.
Holiday, who also competed in the 2020 Olympics (played in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan), finished Saturday's championship victory in Paris with six points, four assists and one rebound. He became the first former UCLA men's basketball player to have ever won two Olympic gold medals. He teamed with former UCLA guard Zach LaVine at the 2020 Olympics in Japan.
In all, UCLA has seen 12 of its former men's basketball players win the gold medal for Team USA at the Olympic Games.
Team USA compiled a perfect 6-0 record at the 2024 Olympics in France, going 3-0 in the group phase before logging wins over Brazil (quarterfinals), Serbia (semifinals) and France (gold-medal contest). The United States led France by a 49-41 margin on Saturday, outscoring the host nation in each of the first two quarters. France pulled to within 82-79 of the United States with just under three minutes to play in the final quarter before Team USA's Steph Curry nailed four 3-point baskets in the game's final 2:50.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris marked the seventh Olympic Games in which at least one former UCLA men's basketball player has led the United States to the gold medal. In addition to 2024 and 2020, UCLA's program also had gold medal winners in 2012 (Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook), 1996 (Reggie Miller), 1964 (Walt Hazzard), 1948 (Don Barksdale) and 1936 (Sam Balter, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Don Piper and Carl Shy).
Holiday's impressive basketball resume at the Olympic Games was bolstered just two months after he played a central role in guiding the 2023-24 Boston Celtics to their first NBA championship since 2008. Holiday helped the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA title before that summer's Olympic gold medal, similar to his championships this summer – in June with the Celtics, and in August at the 2024 Olympics.
Holiday starred as a freshman at UCLA during the 2008-09 season, helping the Bruins to a 26-9 overall record and a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance. Following his strong freshman campaign in Westwood, he was selected as the No. 17 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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— UCLA Men's Basketball (@UCLAMBB) August 10, 2024
Congratulations to @Jrue_Holiday11 and @usabasketball on today's 98-87 ????????-?????????? ?????????????? over France at the 2024 Olympics.#OlympiansMadeHere | #UCLAOlympians ?????? pic.twitter.com/gH0KetLReA
IT WAS ALWAYS GOLD.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 10, 2024
The ???? #USABMNT wins a 5th consecutive Olympic gold medal! pic.twitter.com/nYx0SBh0Ui
