10 Most Shocking Reveals From Netflix's Court Of Gold Documentary
WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Court of Gold.
Netflix's Court of Gold reveals some previously unknown details about Teams France, Serbia, and Canada, as well as Team USA's historic gold medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The new 6-part docuseries, released exclusively on Netflix on February 19, 2025, takes an unprecedented look behind the scenes into the locker rooms and personal lives of some of the best basketball players on the planet. Director Jake Rogal was granted immersive, never-before-seen access to cover Teams USA, France, Serbia, and Canada, who all became top contenders to win the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A sort of spinoff series to Netflix's Starting 5, which chronicled three members of 2024's Team USA – Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and LeBron James – Court of Gold is essential viewing for NBA and basketball fans. The docuseries features extensive interviews and in-game commentary from LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Victor Wembanyama, Team USA head coach Stever Kerr, and many more. Although the results of the 2024 Olympics are set in stone, Court of Gold enhances the experience not just by reliving the on-court drama but also by allowing viewers to walk through history alongside their favorite players.
10 Joel Embiid Told Tyrese Haliburton He Would Rather Retire Than Play For The Indiana Pacers
One of the funniest early parts of Court of Gold was Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, telling rising elite guard Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers that he would rather retire than play for his team. While Embiid's comments were said in jest during the first episode of Court of Gold, the longtime Philadelphia 76er didn't seem like he was kidding.
Court Of Gold Review - I'm Thrilled The Netflix Doc Changed My Perspective On Team USA & Olympic Basketball
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Haliburton laughed at Embiid's comment, not taking it personally and requesting Embiid to at least come over to his house for dinner, which Embiid accepted. Court of Gold is filled with small but memorable anecdotes like this that reveal more of a human element to these larger-than-life Olympic competitors. It's an example of the chemistry that Team USA was able to develop just months after the conclusion of the 2024 NBA season. It also exemplifies why Embiid chose to play for Team USA rather than Cameroon or France, where he has citizenship.
9 Barack Obama Said It Would Be "Terrible & Embarrassing" If Team USA Won A Silver Medal In Paris
Former United States President Barack Obama weighed in on the 2024 Team USA's gold medal pursuit, stating that it would be "terrible and embarrassing" if the squad came up short in the gold medal match. Based on the illustrious track record of Team USA's Olympic men's basketball team, which has won 17 gold medals in 20 appearances, Obama may be harsh but not wrong in his assessment.
Barack Obama's Role In Netflix's Starting 5 Documentary Explained
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Barack and Michelle Obama were executive producers on Court of Gold, adding to their arsenal of Netflix original series which also includes Starting 5, Leave the World Behind, and Bodkin. Obama is also an adamant basketball fan and delivered a 10-minute speech at the USA Basketball's 50th Anniversary party in early July 2024, just weeks before the Olympics. Following their gold medal victory, Team USA remains in Obama's good graces.
8 Team France Missed The Olympic Opening Ceremony To Prepare For Their First Game
Team France was so determined to prepare for their opening round game in the 2024 Paris Olympics that they actually chose to miss out on the Opening Ceremony, instead watching it on television. Team France was stationed at INSEP, a renowned athletic preparatory facility and training program for France's rising athletes just outside Paris. In fact, many of the players on Team France, including Nicolas Batum and Victor Wembanyama, attended INSEP as adolescents.
In Court of Gold, Wembanyama rationalizes Team France's surprising decision to miss the Opening Ceremony on their home soil, stating that they would be much more comfortable and focused by staying on their training grounds, free from distraction. Meanwhile, Team USA joined the rest of the US Olympians on the Seine River, with LeBron James waving the American flag at the head of the US boat with tennis phenom Coco Gauff.
7 Kevin Durant Was Brought To Tears Reflecting On The Fan Support During The Paris Olympics
The biggest shock of Court of Gold came as a vulnerable moment from the greatest US Olympic basketball scorer of all time and 4-time gold medalist, Kevin Durant. Durant was moved to tears reflecting on the incredible sense of global community and fan support that the Paris Olympic Games inspired. “I come from neighborhoods where people don’t even talk to each other. So much hate in the world too. The game has saved my life. It brought me and my family out of a lot of bullshit, so I’m just grateful for it."
Durant continued, "I looked in the crowd, it’s 27,000 people from all walks of life, all different countries, coming together for basketball. It’s incredible to see that. As much as I can try to bring us together that way, that’s what I try to do." Durant has played in multiple Olympic Games before 2024, but Paris hit him differently. "When people get to start laughing and joking for the game of ball, it’s cool to me. It gets me emotional. It’s crazy to see somebody say they traveled so long to come see their favorite player play in the Olympics."
6 Nicolas Batum Called Tony Parker After Discovering "France's Next GOAT" Victor Wembanyama At Age 14
While NBA fans may have just found out about Victor Wembanyama after his 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year win, French basketball stars Nicolas Batum and Tony Parker have known all about Wemby for years. Batum reflects in Court of Gold about the first time he saw Wembanyama at a summer camp in France when Wemby was just 14. Batum was stunned by the skill and quickness of a player of that height.
At 7' 3", Wemby is one of the tallest current NBA players. Batum immediately called Parker after seeing Wemby, who was formerly the face of French basketball throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and warned him that he had discovered "France's Next GOAT". Years later, Batum turned out to be right, as Wemby has now matured into one of the best NBA prospects of all time.
5 Team Serbia Wanted To Get "Historically Drunk" After Winning Bronze Medal Over Team Germany
Team Serbia is led by the unparalleled skill and personality of Nikola Jokić, who carried no chip on his shoulder in the 2024 Olympic Serbian locker room after his 3 NBA MVP awards. Serbia was a fierce competitor in the 2024 Olympic Games, featuring NBA veteran Bogdan Bogdanović and a handful of talented international players. Even though they did not have the opportunity to compete for the gold medal after going 2-1 in the preliminary round after a 110-84 loss to the US, the Serbians were still ready to celebrate their bronze medal victory over Germany.
Jokic and Team Serbia announced that they wanted to get "historically drunk" after defeating Team Germany 93-83 in the Bronze Medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics. That seems to be exactly what they did as Kevin Durant called out Jokic and Team Serbia for "drinking all day" right after Team USA clinched their gold medal. It became Serbia's third Olympic medal after previously winning two silvers.
4 Steph Curry Called His "Ear Tug" Pick & Roll Play With LeBron To Spark 3-Pointer Spree In Gold Medal Match
The last half hour of the Court of Gold series finale is all about one man: Steph Curry. Curry put on one of the most "lights out" performances in Olympic basketball history, destroying the hopes and dreams of a relentless Team France who were desperate to beat the US on Parisian soil. If it weren't for Curry, Wemby, Batum, and the company may have done just that. Looking back, Batum admitted there was nothing they could do to stop Curry's parade.
Court of Gold reveals that it was Curry himself who sparked his own 3-pointer spree, telling his longtime coach Steve Kerr that he was calling a pick-and-roll play with LeBron known as "ear-tug". Footage of Curry subtly pulling his right ear alludes to this secret weapon, which ignited Curry to seal the deal for Team USA in the gold medal match.
3 Steve Kerr Was In Awe Of Steph Curry After His Double-Team Fadeaway "Golden Dagger" Gold Medal Clincher
The final three-point shot that Curry hit to silence France in the gold medal match has been fossilized as the "golden dagger" moment, a miraculous career highlight for Curry towards the end of his amazing career. Court of Gold reveals that even though Kerr has seen it all from Curry after 10 years of coaching him and winning four NBA Titles together, he is just like the rest of us, becoming completely bewildered by Curry's abilities and confidence in clutch moments.
"F***ing Steph Curry. Jesus Christ," an awe-stricken Kerr says to his coaching staff following Curry's "golden dagger" shot. After the game, Kerr had more formal words of praise for his elite pupil, saying to him on the court, "I am so lucky to have you in my life. You are the finest human being I’ve ever met and I mean that in every way."
2 Reliving Steph Curry's Legendary Gold Medal Performance Is Even Better With France's Olympic Announcers
Court of Gold relives Steph Curry's "golden dagger" moment through the lens of France's Olympic TV broadcasters, which some Team USA fans may find humorous. "Impossible! Steph Curry has the hot hand tonight, there's nothing to be done! The Avengers will win this Olympic final. We've been crucified by Steph Curry."
It's hard not to feel for Team France, who would have created the perfect storybook ending to the career of Team France's head coach, Vincent Collet, who has been the men's national team coach since 2009. As the French announcers put it in Court of Gold, "We were three points behind the Americans, so close, just three points! Look at him dance. We can go home."
1 LeBron James & Steph Curry Joke That They'll Return To Team USA In 2028 As Coaches
Not long after LeBron, Durant, Curry and the rest of Team USA clinch a historic 17th gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Curry and LeBron start joking about returning in 2028, which will be held in Los Angeles, California. Another rising NBA great, Anthony Edwards, asks Curry if he's coming back in 2028. Without missing a beat, Curry fires back, "Yeah, I'm gonna coach. Steve ain't gonna coach, I'm gonna coach," with a deadpan expression.
LeBron James, who turned 40 in December 2024, joins the conversation as Curry, Edwards, and Durant laugh. James seems more open to the idea of coaching Team USA in 2028. "Guarantee we win gold. Guarantee," James says to close out Netflix's Court of Gold.
Court of Gold
- Release Date
- 2025 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Directors
- Jake Rogal
Cast
Kevin DurantSelf- Stephen Curry
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