Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Jimmy Fallon were among the celebrities to pack the benches of the Paris Olympic basketball final last night.
President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte also watched as Les Bleus fought against the NBA stars.
French supporters vastly out-numbered the dedicated Team USA who had travelled across the Atlantic to cheer on their team stars.
The crowd joined in with a stirring rendition of ‘La Marseillaise’ French national anthem before the match began.
Dressed in France’s blue, white and red colours, they sang ‘Allez les Bleus’ [Come on the blues] to the sound of drums beating in the sell out 13,000 crowd.
But the French underdogs were unable to overcome the heavy favourite USA team which went on to win 98-87 for its fifth straight Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane was among the celebrities to pack the benches of the Paris 2024 Olympic basketball men’s final on Saturday night
French Olympic football team captain Thierry Henry was pictured rubbing his hands in excitement and cheering on his nation during the match
Comedian Jimmy Fallon was pictured smiling and giving the peace sign as he posed for a selfie with a fan at the match
French Olympic football team captain Thierry Henry was pictured rubbing his hands in excitement and cheering on his nation during the match.
Comedian Jimmy Fallon was pictured smiling and giving the peace sign as he posed for a selfie with a fan at the match.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane was photographed focusing intensely during the match as he kept a low profile with a cap on from the stands.
And former female soccer captain Megan Rapinoe was part of a small but vocal Team USA supporters club.
Rapinoe and fiancé Sue Bird, who played in five Olympic games herself with the USA’s women’s basketball squad, were also seen sitting with ex-Lakers star Pau Gasol.
There was plenty more basketball talent at the event, as Bulls legend Scottie Pippen was in attendance, while French ex-point guard Tony Parker could be seen there as well.
Additionally, Anthony and Pippen could also be seen alongside ex-Knicks star Stephon Marbury, while Anthony’s son Kiyan was in attendance as well.
Jimmy Fallon, Sha’Carri Richardson and Carmelo Anthony sat together at the match
Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Paul Gasol also attended the game as the USA faced France
Scottie Pippen (right) and Stephon Marbury were also in attendance and embraced each other
French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron watch France vs. the USA
French basketball legend Tony Parker was also in attendance to cheer on the host nation
Stephen Curry led the USA with 24 points – half of which came after the 2:48 mark in the fourth quarter
LeBron James was named the MVP of the men’s basketball tournament for his play in France
The host nation, led by rising star and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, had an impressive tournament and cut the USA’s lead to just three late in the game – but a cast of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry ultimately proved too much.
Curry, who finished the game with a team-high 24 points, caught fire in the latter stages of the game as he hit four three-pointers from the 2:48 mark on to see the Americans to the gold.
His final dagger came during a broken play with 35 seconds left, when he heaved in a three-pointer over the arms of Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum to restore the lead to nine for the USA.
There was no way back for France, and Curry knew it as he did his famous ‘night night celebration’ – with the last half-minute proving unclimactic for the USA.
James, who was later named the MVP of the men’s basketball competition, finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both added 15 points for the eventual winners.
Tony Parker and Thierry Henry cheer on the French team during the match
Team USA’s men’s basketball squad has now won gold in five straight Olympic games
Victor Wembanyama was bitterly disappointed to lose but was tremendous for France
Stephen Curry did his ‘night night’ celebration after hitting a dagger against France
In the lead up to the event organisers said there would be a ring of steel thrown around the venue to protect the world leaders, celebrities, and the multimillionaire NBA stars.
Armed police, soldiers and private security guards sealed off the Bercy Arena in Paris ahead of the gold medal clash.
The stadium, built in 1984, sits at the heart of Paris next to one of the capital’s main railway stations Gare de Lyon.
One security expert said before the match: ‘Hosting an event like this potentially featuring many high profile attendees in such a crowded location in the middle of a crowded city presents a perfect storm of problems for protection personnel.’
Snipers were stationed on neighbouring rooftops, Reaper drones monitored the area from above and cameras loaded with artificial intelligence software scoured the streets for abandoned packages and crowd surges.
France is conducting one of its biggest security operations since WW2 to safeguard the Games.
The VIP guest list for ‘the game of the Games’ threw up a massive security headache for Olympic chiefs
Armed police, soldiers and private security guards sealed off the Bercy Arena in Paris ahead of the gold medal clash between favourites USA and host nation France
More than 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers, a squadron of Rafale fighter jets, surveillance planes, and sniper-carrying helicopters are patrolling the French capital.
The biggest military camp since WW2 was established in the city to house soldiers.
Troops can be scrambled to all Olympic venues within 30 minutes.
Detailed background checks identified 3,900 potential attendees who were barred in advance.
The homes of 155 suspects with possible terrorist links were raided ahead of the Games.
Around 40 countries – including the UK – have supplied up to 2,000 police reinforcements for the operation to safeguard more than 14,000 athletes plus millions of spectators.
The operation was designed to combat a host of potential threats in a country blighted by terrorism and political instability.
In the last 14 months so-called `lone wolves’ have carried out knife attacks targeting tourists in Paris, children in an Alpine park, and a high school teacher.
The week before the Games began a 40-year-old Russian chef was arrested on suspicion of colluding with ‘foreign powers to stir up hostility in France’ – which can carry a 30-year jail sentence.
The Kremlin has been accused of trying to destabilise the Games.
In March, Olympic organisers scaled down the opening ceremony amid fears of a terror attack.
Weeks later two men were accused of plotting an operation aimed at the Games.
The International Olympic Committee has said it was confident security surrounding the Games could combat any increased threat.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk