Stephen A. Smith Claims Olympic MVP Shouldn't Have Gone to LeBron James

Stephen A. Smith shared on Wednesday that he believes LeBron James should not have been awarded the MVP of the Paris 2024 Men's Basketball tournament. Instead, Smith believes that James' teammate, Stephen Curry, deserved the honor.

“I ain’t knocking LeBron,” Smith said. “I just thought Steph should have got it.”

James and Curry had different experiences throughout the Olympics.

LeBron was consistently strong, averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in the six tournament games, all of which were victories for the United States. In the championship game, he racked up 14 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists.

Curry, on the other hand, struggled in the first four games but delivered a remarkable performance against Serbia, erupting for 36 points.

He followed that up with a gold medal game against France, where he scored 24 points, all from three-pointers, including a memorable shot that helped seal the victory.

Smith argues that Curry’s ability to shine in crucial moments is more valuable than James' consistent performances throughout the tournament.

“I thought Steph Curry deserved the MVP because of that,” Smith said. “Not because LeBron wasn’t great, because he was. But when you steal pivotal moments like that to secure gold in two thrillers, Serbia and then France, you deserve the MVP.”

While Smith raises a compelling point, there’s a valid argument for both players.

However, it’s likely that both James and Curry would focus on the gold medal achievement, which was made possible by their collective MVP-like performances.

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