Inside The Nuggets

FIBA Reveals Controversial LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant Olympic List

Team USA is one of several teams at the Paris Olympics with NBA star power
Joey Linn|
Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States forward LeBron James (6) and Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) before a game against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States forward LeBron James (6) and Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) before a game against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. | John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

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Basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics is in full swing, as each team has at least two games played. With the Group Phase nearing its completion, debates have already begun about what players have been the most valuable this summer.

Team USA has been dominant so far, led by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. Other NBA stars have made a strong impact for their respective countries, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Canada, Giannis Antetokounmpo for Greece, Nikola Jokic for Serbia, and more.

Furthering the debate on what players have been the most valuable at the Olympics, FIBA dropped an MVP ladder that had James at the top.

While it is hard to argue James’ placement atop this list, there are several placements that have been controversial. This includes Durant being all the way down at fifth, as the Suns star leads Team USA in scoring through their first two convincing wins.

Jokic not being top-two is also a topic of debate, as the Denver Nuggets star ranks second in both assists and rebounds this summer while being 14th in scoring. That said, Gilgeous-Alexander has been dominant himself, ranking seventh in scoring.

In their article on this list, FIBA explained that team success, individual numbers, and a player's standing on his team in the clutch all factored into the decision making.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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