PARIS — Title it a three-peat. The perfect ending to a Hollywood script.
In team captain Steve Serio’s final game on the grand stage and on Trevon Jenifer’s birthday, the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team joined forces, uniting like brothers.
They executed and took care of business. They played for one another. They battled back valiantly when their lead dwindled to three points with 1:28 remaining in the contest. They defeated their never-say-die rival, Great Britain, 73-69, to clinch their third consecutive Paralympics gold medal.
What a night for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Saturday night at Bercy Arena.
“This is what dreams are made of – to go out in this environment with this group of athletes and staff behind me,” Serio told Team USA, shortly after receiving his gold medal. “I can’t think of a more storybook ending than this one. Bringing another gold medal to my country is a surreal feeling and I’m really honored to be part of the moment.”
Serio, who starred in his fifth and final Paralympics – an integral part of U.S. teams that won gold medals at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, and bronze at the London 2012 Paralympic Games – performed like the bona-fide star and face of the U.S. wheelchair basketball team that he has become. And a leading ambassador for Para sports.
The 36-year-old veteran from Long Island, New York, scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished eight assists. It was a stellar team-leading performance.
“He was aggressive out of the gate – it’s awesome because we’re roommates back at the village,” said Serio’s longtime teammate Trevon Jenifer, who also had a big night. “Last game, he wakes up before me and was amped. Today was weird – he was calmer, it was definitely the calm before the storm.”
“Having him plugging away and just hitting shots and that’s what we needed from him tonight,” said Nate Hinze, who has been teammates with Serio at the past three triumphant Paralympics.
Serio fouled out with 1:50 left on the clock and the U.S. leading, 67-60. He deserved the rest – it was probably past his bedtime.
“The symbolism of me being pulled off the court before I was 100 percent done is not lost on me,” Serio said. “I was really mad that I wasn’t there for my guys at the end. I had 100-percent confidence that they would close it out.”
With Serio Sidelined, Teammates Step
Up
Looking on from the bench, Serio was certainly in capable hands, but behemoth Lee Manning and a pesky Great Britain squad wouldn’t roll over.
With the lead cut to three, Jake Williams buried a clutch shot with 1:14 remaining to put the U.S. ahead by five – two of William’s game-leading 26 points.
Jenifer celebrated a birthday on Saturday, yet another of many sub-plots on an epic night under the bright lights of Bercy Arena.
“My birthday is just another year, another day gone, but this moment will be last a lifetime,” Jenifer said. “Having a stadium sing Happy Birthday to you is touching.”
Jenifer mixed it up and notched 14 points, on a few occasions coming off high-tempo fast breaks, the recipient of perfect passes, at least one from Williams, who channeled his inner Patrick Mahomes.
“I think they were very aggressive on me so I just tried to find the open guy in the flow of the offense,” Williams said. “We just tried to take what they were giving us.”
