Team USA and Serbia produced one of the best basketball games in Olympic history. Close competition brings out the best from the best. The three leading superstars of Team USA, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, went into clutch mode to bring them back from a deficit to a famous victory. Among them all, the 39-year-old put up a performance that separated him from the rest of the world.
It was Stephen Curry who was lighting up the scoreboard. However, most of his shots came off passes from his longtime rival, LeBron James. The Lakers star again led the team in assists, setting up his teammates to get in positions to score. That, along with the 12 rebounds, helped him set the fourth-ever triple-double in Olympic history.
But James set it for the second time in his national career when he donned the jersey for the second last time at the Paris Olympics. Therefore, he became the only player ever to have multiple triple-doubles in Olympic men’s basketball history. It is a feat that is incredibly difficult when playing on national teams with chemistry issues and sporadic play.
On Team USA, which is often star-studded, it is even more difficult to achieve. It’s more so doing it at an age when basketball players are generally on their last legs. LeBron James ended up with 16 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists. However, the efficiency with which he ended with those numbers was astounding.
LeBron James firmly in line to win Paris Olympics MVP
Before this matchup against Serbia, the MVP race had LeBron James and Nikola Jokic in 1st and 2nd positions. Then, in third, it was Dennis Schroder. However, after the end of the night, it seems there is no one left to challenge King James.
The all-time leading scorer in NBA history is sitting squarely in the lead. The next closest competitor was teammate Kevin Durant. But Durant did not have an MVP-challenging game against Serbia. France’s Guerschon Yabusele may have made his case to be higher up on that list after the game against Germany. Even then, there is no clear competitor left.
Had Nikola Jokic played in the finals against the Americans, the MVP race would have gone down to the wire. Now, with Team USA firmly favored to win the gold medal, the race is effectively over. LeBron James can add this achievement to his already long list of accomplishments.
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