The United States men’s wheelchair basketball team made history by becoming the first to ever claim three consecutive gold medals at the Paralympics. Team USA triumphed with a 73-69 victory over Great Britain at Bercy Arena in Paris on Saturday, 7 September.
As he had done throughout the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Steve Serio led Team USA to victory. He delivered an impressive performance with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. This marked Serio’s final Paralympics, and his contribution has been pivotal to the U.S. team’s dominance over the past decade. He retires with three Paralympic gold medals, one bronze, and five world championship medals to his name.
“This is what dreams are made of, man. The totality of the journey, how much this team has grown up together. We’ve won together, we’ve lost together. To cap off my Team USA career with a win like this, with 12 athletes that I love and a great staff behind me, this is what dreams are made of,” Serio said to NBC following the win.
But Serio didn’t achieve the victory alone. Jake Williams led the team with 26 points, while Trevon Jenifer added 14. Although Brian Bell didn’t score as many points as in previous games, his defensive effort and presence all over the court were crucial to the team's success.
Serio highlighted the team’s depth and chemistry as key to their success.
“Any given day, it can be any athlete. We know that we go 12-deep. I read somewhere once that the secret of basketball is not basketball. It’s about the relationships you’ve built. These guys. We bleed together, we sweat together, we work together. We fail together, and today we won together,” he said with a beaming smile.
The victory capped a remarkable run in Paris for the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team. They won all three games in group play, then cruised through the quarterfinals and semifinals with an average winning margin of 36 points. Now, they return home as the most successful men’s wheelchair basketball team of all time.
GREAT BRITAIN TAKES SILVER IN MEN'S WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
Great Britain put up a strong fight against the U.S. Despite Team USA leading by as many as 12 points, ParalympicGB’s sharp three-point shooting kept the contest tight throughout the fourth quarter. Gregg Warburton, one of Great Britain’s top performers throughout the Paralympics, scored 15 points while playing the full 40 minutes. Lee Manning utilized his size to challenge the U.S. inside the paint, contributing 21 points and 16 rebounds.
Like the U.S., Great Britain went undefeated in pool play and dominated in the knockout rounds. This silver marks the team’s first non-bronze medal finish since Atlanta 1996. Although they have yet to win gold, Great Britain has solidified its place as one of the world’s top wheelchair basketball programs.
Earlier on Saturday, Germany claimed bronze with a 75-62 victory over Canada. Thomas Boehme led the German team with 36 points, while Canada’s Patrick Anderson, a six-time Paralympian, scored 31 points in what he anticipates will be his final Paralympic Games.