Three Ex-Cats Win Olympic Gold Medals

SAITAMA, Japan – Former Kentucky men’s basketball players Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker and Keldon Johnson are Olympic gold medalists.

The UK trio, a quarter of the USA Basketball Team at the 2020 Olympic Games, helped the Americans to their fourth consecutive gold medal with an 87-82 victory over France on Friday at Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Kevin Durant led Team USA with a game-high 29 points. Adebayo played well in the final game with six points, six rebounds, four assists and a game-high three blocks. Booker, who had scored 20 points in the semifinal win vs. Australia two days ago, was limited vs. France offensively but played solid defense. Johnson did not see any action.

A foul-riddled first half saw the Americans lead by five and Team USA pulled in front by as much as 71-57 late in the third quarter.

France, as it did every time it looked like the U.S. was going to pull away, fought back and got as close as 73-70 midway through the fourth quarter and 85-82 with less than 10 seconds to play. Durant iced the game with a pair of free throws for the final score.

Making their debuts for the U.S. National Team, Adebayo, Booker and Johnson helped USA Basketball capture its 16th gold medal all-time. Not only is it the fourth straight gold medal for the U.S., it is the fourth straight Olympic gold medal finish a Wildcat has been a part of. Tayshaun Prince earned gold in 2008, Anthony Davis won in 2012 and DeMarcus Cousins was a part of the 2016 team.

UK’s three representatives on the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team were more than any other college.

As a department, current and former UK Athletics athletes have now tallied nine medals at the 2020 Olympiad, including six gold medals. Counting Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhardt, who are both in the UK College Medicine, current and former University of Kentucky students have totaled 11 medals.

It was not an easy journey to the gold medal game for USA Basketball. In addition to losing to France in the group stage, the Americans also dropped a pair of exhibition games prior to leaving for Japan. But Team USA, led by Durant, found its footing after the loss to France and didn’t panic when trailing in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

USA Basketball has medaled in each of the 19 Olympics it has participated in, winning 16 gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals. Team USA owns a 143-6 overall win-loss record. Since NBA players began representing the U.S. in 1992, Team USA is 58-4 in its eighth Olympics appearance with seven gold medals.

With the additions of Adebayo, Booker and Johnson to the elite club, 14 Wildcats have won Olympic gold medals. However, this season marks the first time two or more UK players have won gold on the same Olympic team since the Fabulous Five of Cliff Barker, Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, Wallace Jones and Kenny Rollins in 1948.

Booker, coming off the first NBA Finals appearance of his career, averaged 9.3 points per game for Team USA and shot 42.2 percent from the floor. Booker was the Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year during UK's magical 2014-15 season.

Adebayo is tallied 6.3 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per game as a starter. He also tied for the team high with seven blocks. An All-SEC performer, Adebayo was a key part of the 2017 Elite Eight and SEC championship team at Kentucky.

Johnson was a late addition to the roster after impressing on the USA Select Team. He appeared in four of six games. During his lone season at Kentucky, Johnson was named the 2019 SEC Freshman of the Year and made the All-SEC Second Team.