Olympic Games rookie Steph Curry impervious to the pressure as Team USA hits Paris

Steph Curry has hit Paris with a single mission — to fill out a glittering basketball resume missing only an Olympic medal. He and LeBron James have wasted no time building their chemistry in what will be the most competitive tournaments in history.

Olympic rookie Steph Curry has opened up about the frankly terrifying chemistry he has already established with future Hall of Famer LeBron James as Team USA roared into Paris on Thursday.

It came as the four-time NBA champion declared himself impervious to the pressure that comes with being expected to waltz to a fifth straight gold medal for American men’s basketball.

Golden State Warriors sharp shooter Curry wowed the assembled media _ which counted 50 cameras and at least 200 journalists _ in the traditional pre-Olympics press conference breezing through topics including Kamala Harris, the history of the London-Paris tunnel and the contentious podcast comments of teammate Joel Embiid.

But he knows the intense pressure will come to bear in days given the expectations of this $800 million team with the assembled star power of Curry, Kevin Durant, Jason Taytum and James.

Despite his glittering career Curry has never competed at the Games for various reasons but in Paris combines with James for the first time at Olympic level in what shapes as a potentially unbeatable combination.

Steph Curry and Kevin Durant address the media at the Paris Olympic Games media centre. Picture: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

The 36-year-old made clear the pair had instantly found ways to maximise each other’s performances rather than getting their egos in the way.

“It’s the experience of playing with a guy of his level of basketball IQ. His game speaks for itself and his style of play matches well. Being able to work off him has been pretty seamless. You usually try to make the right play and something good will happen,” said Curry, universally acknowledged as basketball’s greatest three-point shooter.

“The chemistry is pretty natural and you have confidence that whoever has the ball, you make a play and be yourself and hopefully something good comes of it. The chemistry has been there and hopefully it continues.”

LeBron James and Steph Curry to join forces at the Olympic Games. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

Curry is fully aware that as much as this team is the biggest show in town the world would love to see them beaten for gold for the first time since the disastrous 2004 Athens campaign.

He isn’t buying the pressure given a team that many believe for sheer talent could eclipse the 1992 Dream Team which went through undefeated with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson at their rampaging best.

“The only pressure you feel is that including the exhibition games it’s only an 11-game journey and you have to adapt quickly and bring your egos as who we are as individual players, but also let them go,” Curry said.

Steph Curry is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Picture: Kyle Terada - Pool/Getty Images

“Once the game starts it’s just basketball. You can’t go 0-2 and learn the lessons. It’s a sprint_ March madness kind of style. Every game means something.”

In yet more demoralising news for rivals Kevin Durant has declared himself close to fully fit after a recent calf issue that had ruled him out of practice games, having practiced twice in the past 24 hours.

A man dubbed by the press as the “FIBA goat” given his status as a three-time gold medallist and the leading US scorer in Olympic history made clear this will be no walk in the park.

“Did you see the (story) about the Dream Team playing against nine NBA players? We are playing against 64 NBA players. They are all the best of the best in the world.”

Of that pesky calf issue, Durant is increasingly confident it will not hold him back: “Each day it’s been getting better. Just checking things off the list. (I) practiced yesterday and practiced today and I will see how I feel after.”

Originally published as Olympic Games rookie Steph Curry impervious to the pressure as Team USA hits Paris