What Court of Gold got right about Kevin Durant and missed about Devin Booker

Netflix’s Court of Gold captured Durant’s star power but missed Booker’s contribtuions.

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics didn’t unfold as a series of effortless victories for the USA Men’s Basketball Team, as some had hoped. Dubbed ‘Dream Team 2.0’, their path to gold was far more contested than that of their namesake, the legendary Jordan/Barkley-led squad that dominated in Barcelona in 1992. The tournament was a clear testament to the rise of global talent, proving that the rest of the world is no longer just catching up but posing a legitimate challenge to the United States.

Netflix captured this evolving basketball landscape in Court of Gold, a documentary released Monday that follows the journeys of Team USA, the French national team, and the Serbian squad as they battled through Paris on their way to the podium. Canada, who didn’t medal, was featured as well.

The narrative practically wrote itself. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant — three of the greatest players of their era — taking one last ride together in pursuit of Olympic glory. A final golden conquest for the old guard. Add in a rising French squad hungry to defend their home turf and a Serbian team led by the best player in the world, and the stage was set for an unforgettable showdown.

Netflix’s six-episode documentary, Court of Gold, offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain, capturing the raw emotions, challenges, and triumphs of players across multiple teams as they navigated the pressures of Olympic competition.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant was a central figure, chasing a historic feat no player — man or woman — had ever achieved: becoming the all-time leading scorer in USA Olympic basketball history while securing his fourth gold medal.

The documentary delivered some unforgettable and deeply personal moments with Durant, including one where the 15-time All-Star grew emotional reflecting on what the game has meant to him, how it has shaped his life, and his desire to see less negativity in the sport he loves.

“I come from a neighborhood where people don’t even talk to each other,” Durant vulnerably said. “So much hate in the world, too. When people get to start laughing and joking for a game of ball, it’s cool to me. It gets me emotional.”

It was a touching moment. One that, on a human level, makes you appreciate Durant beyond the stat sheets and accolades. He’s one of the most respected players in the game, and he’s earned that respect through years of brilliance, perseverance, and passion. Seeing his vulnerability in real-time is a reminder that, beneath the championships and highlight reels, there’s a person who has poured everything into this sport.

Appreciate him while he’s here, because players like Kevin Durant don’t come around often.

The series captured Durant’s dominance from the very start, including his masterful performance against Serbia in the opening game, where he came off the bench and torched them with near perfection, going 8-of-9 from the field for 23 points.

It followed his journey all the way to the gold medal showdown against France, where he made a decision that will be replayed in Olympic history for years to come. With the game on the line, Durant opted to hit Stephen Curry in the corner instead of LeBron James, leading to an instant classic, an iconic moment forever etched in the sport’s grandest stage.

This glimpse into his world is just the beginning. Durant will take center stage this summer in Netflix’s upcoming series Starting 5, which follows him throughout the season. The series promises even more candid moments, offering a firsthand look at how he processed the trade deadline and giving fans a rare opportunity to connect with him on a deeper level as he navigates one of the most pivotal seasons of his career.

After watching Durant’s heartfelt take on negativity, I almost feel guilty offering any criticism of the documentary. But as a Suns fan, I have one.

The focus was naturally on LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. The aging titans of USA Basketball. That was expected. There was also some attention given to Bam Adebayo and Anthony Edwards, adding depth to the American perspective. But my one gripe? The documentary barely acknowledged Devin Booker.

Not a quick interview. Not even a passing mention. Just Booker, constantly seen in the background, camera in hand, documenting his own Olympic journey. That absence felt like a missed opportunity. Here was a chance to highlight the next generation of stars, players who will carry the torch when the old guard fades. The player Steve Kerr himself called “our unsung MVP” was treated as an afterthought.

It’s like making a documentary on the 1993 Saturday Night Live cast and going all in on Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, and Dana Carvey. You give Mike Myers some shine, sprinkle in a little David Spade, but somehow…you don’t even mention Phil Hartman.

Hartman, like Booker for Team USA, was the ultimate glue guy. The one who held everything together, elevated those around him, and played an essential yet muted role in the show’s success. Ignoring him wouldn’t just be an oversight; it would be missing a fundamental piece of the story. And that’s exactly what happened with Court of Gold. Booker wasn’t just part of the roster. He was a key piece of it. Yet, the documentary treated him as little more than a background extra in a film where he should have had a scene.

But outside of that one criticism — and noting that they also didn’t cover Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, or Anthony Davis — the documentary was an excellent watch. Especially during the basketball void of the NBA All-Star break, it was the perfect fix.

More importantly, Court of Gold will stand the test of time. Years from now, it will serve as a time capsule. A glimpse into one unforgettable summer in Paris. A summer when a trio of aging superstars joined forces for one last golden ride. When a young Frenchman experienced his first true heartbreak on the international stage. And when the best player in the world seemed to find more joy in earning bronze alongside his countrymen than in hoisting an NBA championship trophy.

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