"He carried Steph to two championships": Ex-NBA player throws shade at Steph Curry while making Kevin Durant's case for Olympics MVP

Team USA secured its 17th gold medal at the Olympics by defeating hosts France 98-87 in the final of the 2024 Paris Games. LeBron James was named the MVP for his consistent production throughout the six games.

Former NBA player Rashad McCants reflected on the LA Lakers superstar winning the MVP award. The ex-Minnesota Timberwolves guard opined that Kevin Durant was the best player on Team USA's roster while asserting that the two-time NBA champion could have won the MVP award if he wanted to.

"If KD really really really wanted to put his foot down, he would be the MVP, because he’s probably the best player on the team," McCants said on the "Gil's Arena" show.

McCants heaped praise on Durant and spoke about the two-time NBA Finals MVP's skillset. The former player also threw shade at Steph Curry while making a case for Durant's MVP bid.

"He’s seven foot, he can shoot just as good as Steph, and carry Steph to two championships," McCants continued.

"So he can live through Steph’s success too, like, ‘Yeah man, that’s my man!’ But he know what it is. LeBron know what it is. Steph and LeBron, you know what it is," he added.

Kevin Durant made history at the Paris Olympics

Kevin Durant came off the bench in five of the six games in the recently concluded Olympics. The 35-year-old was battling a calf strain before the quadrennial competition and after he regained full fitness, coach Steve Kerr elected to start the Phoenix Suns superstar from the bench.

In the final against France, the 14-time NBA All-Star was included in the starting lineup alongside LeBron James and Steph Curry. Durant (13.8) was the third-leading scorer for Team USA, trailing only Steph (14.8) and LeBron (14.2).

The former Golden State Warriors superstar took fewer shots compared to Steph and LeBron. Durant took 50 shots from the floor, including 27 attempts from the 3-point range.

Steph took 60 shots from the field, including 46 from beyond the arc. LeBron shot the ball 53 times, including 13 attempts from downtown.

Durant made several momentum-changing and game-winning plays. In the first game of the competition against Serbia, Durant provided the impetus in scoring by knocking down eight out of his nine shots, including 5-of-5 from the 3-point range.

In the semi-final against Serbia, Durant knocked down a clutch 2-point jumper that stretched Team USA's lead to four points. Durant finished the tournament by becoming the first male basketball player in history to win four Olympic gold medals.