Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James won MVP at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Turning in an all-around performance en route to his third gold medal, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer led Team USA in assists (51) and rebounds (41). Finishing second on the team in scoring to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, James truly did it all for Team USA.
While James’ numbers were MVP-caliber, some have argued the award should have gone to Curry for his performance in the semifinals and gold medal game.
Scoring 36 points to defeat Serbia in the semifinals, Curry added 24 points in the gold medal game against France.
We do not beat Serbia without Steph Curry. We do not beat France without Steph Curry. 17-26 threes in the semifinal and final, in games that invariably become 3-point shooting contests. I predicted he’d be our most important player. He obviously should’ve been Most Valuable.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 11, 2024
“I thought Steph Curry deserved the MVP… Not because LeBron [James] wasn’t great because he was. But when you steal pivotal moments like that to secure gold in two thrillers, Serbia & then France, you deserve the MVP.”
— Stephen A. Smith 🤔pic.twitter.com/TrcUimn1My
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 14, 2024
These comments from Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless are just two viral examples of an opinion shared by many. While James had the better overall numbers, Curry was Team USA’s leading scorer in their two biggest games.
Adding fuel to this conversation, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed MVP voting opened during the semifinals.
“I was told that it’s media voting, which the media could vote on, there was a QR code allegedly on the wall… They opened the voting during the semifinals.”
Brian Windhorst speaks on the Olympic MVP voting process on the Hoop Collective Podcast 🤔pic.twitter.com/vko75mOW0W
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 15, 2024
“I was told that it’s media voting, which the media could vote on.” Windhorst said. “There was a QR code allegedly on the wall… They opened the voting like two days before the end, like during the semifinals. I was like, ‘Why would you vote now?'”
The Olympics have been facing backlash for this decision, as fans have the same question Windhorst had about voting being opened so early.
So it was pre selected for Lebron to win MVP???
— Efeso100 (@Efeso1001) August 15, 2024
I mean it was obviously going to be rigged for Lebron to feed the medias “goat debate”. They gotta pad lebrons stats so they can milk the argument for all the possible views. Curry was clear mvp.
— x – Mikey CoinSnatch (@MikeyCoinSnatch) August 15, 2024
Curry deserved it
— alex 🏹 (@aCNZ0) August 15, 2024
Watering the game down for one man is wild.. snooze fest 😴
— Huncho (@degenhuncho) August 15, 2024
Rigged
— alex 🏹 (@aCNZ0) August 15, 2024
It is worth noting that while the Olympics have been facing backlash from fans over their handling of this award, many believe James would have still won MVP if voting opened after the gold medal game.
