Winning an Olympic gold medal is arguably the pinnacle of an athlete’s career. I don’t think there is a more important moment in an athlete’s history than winning a gold medal at the Olympics, being crowned the best in the world, standing on the highest podium, and wearing gold around your neck is a feeling of unparalleled satisfaction. I’m not sure but I would say that winning a gold medal is about as unlikely as being eaten by a shark.

One notable athlete heading to Paris without an Olympic medal is Steph Curry. The greatest shooter in NBA history has won everything with the Golden State Warriors, but believe it or not, these will be his first Olympic Games. Curry shared his reasons with Marc J. Spears of Andscape for missing London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020, each a unique situation.

London 2012

“In 2012, I didn’t get picked because I wasn’t on the level I needed to be.” Back in 2012, Curry was only three seasons into his NBA career. Despite his remarkable shooting ability, he was competing for a spot against elite players like Chris Paul from the Clippers and the young Thunder duo of Russell Westbrook and James Harden, who had just lost in the Finals to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Rio 2016

“In ’16, I was coming off the Finals run and I didn’t feel I would get the rest I needed to get ready for the next season.” Four years later, Curry had already secured an NBA championship and two consecutive MVP awards (2015-2016), with the 2016 MVP being the only unanimous selection in history. He would have been a key player alongside Kevin Durant, but as he mentioned, he needed rest. That rest helped him and the Warriors win two more championships consecutively, albeit with Durant’s help. His teammates, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, were part of the gold-winning team, which fueled Curry’s desire to participate this time around.

Tokyo 2020

“In 2020, it was a COVID year. And just that whole process, I don’t remember what was going on family-wise. But it wasn’t a good time for me. Draymond played. He won twice. So, obviously I was watching him and missed out.” The COVID-19 pandemic caused many players from the 2016 team to opt out, except for Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, while 10 other players made their Olympic debuts. Once again, Curry would have been a crucial addition to the gold-winning squad.

Though it wasn’t essential for him to join, it doesn’t mean the teams would have been better without him. Curry had valid reasons for not representing his country in the past. Now, alongside Kevin Durant and flag bearer LeBron James, he will seek the fifth consecutive gold medal for the US. The team is favored, and Curry is determined to secure the gold. We’ll see what happens once the basketball games begin this Saturday in Paris.