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Four-time reigning English champion with Manchester City, Pep Guardiola was able to take advantage of the summer to clear his head by following the Olympic basketball tournament.

He recently reacted to the suspenseful final between the French team and Team USA.

A quick glance at his record shows that the science of football no longer really holds any secrets for him.

A legendary coach, Pep Guardiola is a true lover of the round ball… but not only that.

Indeed, his passion for basketball and the NBA dates back to the last century, according to him, during which he sometimes neglected his wife in favor of Michael Jordan .

A passion that has remained intact to this day.

Pep Guardiola’s astonished analysis of the Paris Olympics final

A few weeks ago, after winning his sixth Premier League title, Guardiola made headlines in the NBA by helping Celtics coach Joe Mazzula.

Most recently, he followed basketball at the Paris Olympics as a mere observer, particularly Team USA’s progress.

He recently spoke about the subject in the Men In Blazers podcast :

Pep Guardiola: The United States really struggled against Serbia and (Nikola) Jokic and his teammates, but what a great semi-final. (…) It was so close…

Through my television, I could see on the faces of the American players that they were scared.

But in those moments, the best players show themselves, and that’s what happened with (Kevin) Durant, LeBron (James) and especially (Stephen) Curry.

Impressed by Stephen Curry ‘s performance in the semi-final of the tournament, the Spanish tactician was even more so following the Chef’s exploits against Les Bleus in the final:

Pep Guardiola: What a beautiful final it was also against France. What Curry did in that match… In my life, I have never seen anything like that.

This guy could have shot from his house, next to his wife, and still put the ball in the basket. It was really, really incredible.

After this recital, there is no doubt in Pep’s eyes that Curry is one of the greatest talents in his sport.

So much so that he did not hesitate to compare him to one of his old acquaintances, Lionel Messi, but also to other renowned athletes:

Pep Guardiola: Curry is at the level of a Messi in football, a Tiger Woods or a Jack Nicklaus in golf. When these guys say they are going to win the game, they go out and win it.

There is a lot of talk about tactics but there are certain moments when you just have to let these players do it to win. Curry is talented and intelligent, and that is what makes great players so great.

Whether against Serbia or France, Stephen Curry played the role of savior for Team USA and greatly contributed to its victory at the Paris Olympic Games. This was well worth the high praise of Pep Guardiola, who admired his level.