Gilbert Arenas picks his Olympic MVP in the LeBron vs Curry debate

LeBron James and Stephen Curry led the United States men's basketball team to Olympic gold together, but are often compared against one another. Some believe that Curry should have been named Olympics MVP, but former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas believes LeBron James rightfully won the award.

On his podcast, Arenas communicated that he didn't believe Curry did enough to win the award. "You're trying to take a two-minute moment and pretend that it happened the whole Olympic Games," Arenas contended.

Stephen Curry put on a show at the end of the gold medal game against France, which clinched the victory for the United States. His display of uncanny shooting and precision from downtown at that moment will be remembered forever. Over and above the Olympics MVP award discussion, did his masterful performance settle once and for all that he is better than LeBron James? All statistics are sourced from Basketball Reference.

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As hard as they tried, the United States could not put France away until the final minutes, when Curry’s onslaught proved to be the difference. The Golden State Warriors superstar converted four threes in the closing minutes, including an off-balance attempt that appeared to have little chance of going in the basket.

Curry’s math was simple to break down when it came to his gold medal game scoring against France. He made eight threes in the contest, and finished with a total of 24 points.

Curry and LeBron James were teammates during the United States’ impressive Olympic run, but have often been pitted against each other at the highest level of NBA competition. Their names also mentioned in similar conversations when it comes to who has had a better career.

Curry and James have won the same exact number of NBA titles; four. However, When Curry’s Warriors faced off against LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight NBA Finals in the 2010s, Curry’s Warriors won three of those series.

Curry told the New York Times that he had a “healthy resentment” of James earlier in their career. "But through it all, there’s obviously the utmost respect for who he is as a person and a player and like how good he is and the challenge of trying to beat him and trying to solve that problem every year."

James told the New York Times, "The game of basketball don’t last forever. You don’t want to waste the opportunity to be able to have a relationship with someone."

While the two legends have struck up a burgeoning basketball friendship, Curry might have the upper hand on James, especially after his Olympic performance.

Bar none, Curry is the greatest shooter in basketball history. That skill was on full display in the Olympics. In the waning moments, France didn’t even guard Curry that badly; the Warriors’ sharpshooter just made baskets that only he can convert with regularity. It put an exclamation point on his impact on the game of basketball.

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ESPN wrote a piece in 2019 about how "deep, audacious three point shots took over the NBA." The tea leaves can be traced back to Curry, who helped re-define what a good shot was considered to be. Of course, a good shot for Curry translates into almost a bad shot for anyone else. As great as James is, it’s difficult to make the case that he has changed the sport as much as Curry has.

With that said, Curry asked United States head coach Steve Kerr specifically to involve James in crucial pick and rolls down the stretch, according to Bleacher Report. Curry realized that James would be the best player to run the play with during the final moments, which should be a feather in LeBron’s cap.

While Curry’s achievements cannot be ignored, those who back James in a debate against Curry would have plenty to lean on as well. There hasn’t been anyone in NBA history who has played as well as James has for over two decades. The longevity and durability is something to cherish.

Both James and Curry have won championships that fans like to knock down. James won two titles with the Miami Heat, playing next to Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Curry won two championships playing with Kevin Durant, who left the Oklahoma City Thunder to form a super team in Golden State.

LeBron James has played in the Olympics four times, representing his country in 2004, 2008, 2012 and in 2024, as Andscape chronicled. It’s a decorated resume, but James was a part of the 2004 team that faltered and won a bronze medal, which was viewed a massive disappointment.

The 2024 Olympics was Curry’s first, and it might be his last. If this was it, he punctuated the tournament about as well as anyone ever has. If Curry doesn’t return in 2028, the idea that his performance won’t be tarnished might help his historical case against James.

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