LeBron James might have played in his last Olympics. If that's the case, he certainly capped off his Olympic tenure in style. After averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game and recording the fourth triple-double in the history of the quadrennial event, James was named the tournament MVP.
However, some folks have expressed disbelief in the Los Angeles Lakers icon bringing the award home, declaring that Stephen Curry should have bagged it. Stephon Marbury was one of them, offering a lengthy opinion in a deleted Instagram post.
"They gave the MVP to the wrong player," Marbury wrote . "Maybe they called out the wrong name by accident. I think we need to try to rewind the moment when [Curry] displayed himself as the best shooter who ever touched the ball. In international ball, if you can't shoot, you can't have the ball at the end of the game."
"I get LeBron is the King to many, but let me say this: when you give him what he doesn't deserve, you basically say that because of what he's done, he should receive such a high honor on the biggest stage. No, he didn't earn it this time," the retired NBA guard added.
LeBron earned it
While it's fine for Marbury to share his opinion about who should have won the MVP of the Paris Games, saying James didn't earn it might be stretching it. It's safe to say that without Curry, who averaged 30.0 points and 8.5 3-pointers per game in the final two rounds, Team USA probably wouldn't have secured its fifth straight Olympic gold medal.
Still, Bron was also key to the past two victories, as he was one of only three players to score in double-digits for the U.S. against Serbia in the semifinals. That matchup also saw him become the only player to record multiple triple-doubles in Olympic history after racking up one in the 2012 Games.
Against France in the battle for gold, the four-time NBA MVP once again showcased his playmaking prowess, dishing out 10 assists for the second consecutive contest. He added 14 points to finish the tournament with double-digit points in each of his appearances. Interestingly, James was two dimes shy of leading every Olympic player in average assists.
Related: "You could just feel it, the lack of respect" - Alonzo Mourning on the tense environment in the gold medal game against France in the 2000 Olympics
A different award for Steph
Curry probably also got votes for the MVP voting, although the fact that he didn't have great performances in the earlier part of the tournament likely had voters looking the other way.
Still, he ended up as Team USA's leader in scoring (14.8 points per game) and plus/minus (+14.3 per contest), breaking the internet with his masterful performances.
The Golden State Warriors superstar may not have clinched the Tournament MVP honors, but at least he was named into the All-Star Five of the Paris Olympics, joining Bron, Dennis Schroder, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic.
Related: Skip Bayless says Curry should've been Olympic MVP over LeBron: "We would not have won either without him"
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