LeBron James takes backseat to Steph Curry in NBA analyst's decisive factor in Team USA’s Olympic glory 

Team USA superstar forward LeBron James took home MVP of the 2024 Paris Olympic men's basketball tournament. However, according to FS1's Colin Cowherd, James' co-star Steph Curry was more instrumental in the U.S. capturing its fifth straight gold medal.

James was Team USA's top all-around statistical performer throughout its Olympic run. Over six games, he averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, shooting a blistering 66.0%. He finished second on the star-studded squad in scoring and first in rebounding, assists and shooting efficiency en route to his third Olympic gold medal.

Meanwhile, Curry struggled offensively to start the tournament, averaging only 7.3 ppg on 35.7% shooting over his first four games. However, the four-time NBA champion came up big when it mattered most in the semifinals and finals against Serbia and France.

With the U.S. facing adversity, Curry averaged 30.0 ppg on 62.5% shooting, connecting on a whopping 17 3-pointers over his final two contests. His dominant two-game shooting stretch helped clinch his first Olympic gold medal, making him Team USA’s leading scorer this summer (14.8 ppg).

Despite Curry's slow start to the Olympics, on Monday's episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Cowherd heralded him as the primary reason the Americans prevailed. He cited the superstar guard's ability to swing games faster than any other high-level player.

"Steph can make things and players and games and people look outdated. There is only one guy and only one reason Team USA won the gold, and it's not LeBron, it's Steph," Cowherd said.

"He's the fastest scorer. More points faster than anybody's done it. Shots that would be audacious by anyone else in the league. ... Nobody can duplicate him," he added.

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While LeBron James was ultimately named the tournament's MVP, he and Steph Curry both made the Olympic All-Star Five. They joined Serbia's Nikola Jokic, France's Victor Wembanyama and Germany's Dennis Schroder. So, both players were recognized for their key contributions to the Americans' success.

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LeBron James on playing alongside Steph Curry at Olympics

Colin Cowherd may have tried to pit LeBron James and Steph Curry against each other by calling the latter the "only reason" Team USA won this year's gold medal. However, James appeared appreciative of the opportunity to team up with his longtime NBA rival at the Olympics.

Following Saturday's 98-87 gold medal-clinching win over France, in which Curry scored a team-high 24 points, hitting numerous clutch shots, James raved about his co-star.

"You just marvel at his talent," James said. "Obviously, I've seen it before, you know, on the opposite side. But having him on your side, you just try to get stops and figure out other ways on the other end but keep finding him. Keep getting him the ball."

So, judging by James' comments and postgame celebrations, he doesn't appear overly concerned about which Team USA superstar receives the lion's share of the credit.

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