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Not everyone is happy that LeBron James won the FIBA Olympic Tournament MVP after leading Team USA to another gold medal. Former NBA player Stephon Marbury thought that Steph Curry should have won the award. However, fans mocked Marbury for "hating" on the LA Lakers superstar.
In a series of posts and comments on his Instagram account, Marbury was critical of James' MVP award because he felt Curry did enough in the final two games to win it.
The Golden State Warriors superstar scored 36 points in the semifinals against Serbia and had a 12-point burst in the final three minutes of the gold medal game versus France.
Here's what Marbury wrote:
"They gave the MVP to the wrong player. Maybe they called out the wrong name by accident. I think we need to rewind the moment when @stephencurry30 displayed himself as the best shooter who ever touched the ball. In international ball, if you can't shoot, you can't have the ball at the end of the game."
The former NBA All-Star added:
"I get LeBron is the King to many, but let me say this: when you give him what he doesn't deserve, you basically say that because of what he's done, he should receive such a high honor on the biggest stage. No, he didn't earn it this time."
Fans went off on Stephon Marbury, who was in attendance in Paris to support Team USA. Some even called him a "troll" for plainly "hating" on LeBron James, who has some of the most hardcore fans, as well as haters, in basketball.
"Dude sound like a Twitter troll," one fan said.
"This is what recency bias will do to you," another fan said.
"As someone who likes Starbury, it's disappointing to see," one fan said.
Some fans clarified LeBron James is the MVP of the tournament and not just the final game. James had an overall better tournament than Steph Curry, who struggled early in the group stages.
"How hard is it for people to understand that the MVP is for the entire tournament?" a fan said.
"All the old heads hating on the generation that came after them are lame af," one fan said.
"Why is Starbury even there??" another fan said.
LeBron James not looking forward to 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
At the age of 39, LeBron James might have played his final game for Team USA. But with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, some fans are wondering if James will play into his 40s and suit up once again for the United States.
"No, I can't see myself playing in L.A., but I also didn't see myself playing in Paris. Four years from now, no, I can't see myself (playing at the Olympics)," James told reporters after the final. [H/T Reuters]
James has battled Father Time with ease and continues to be one of the best players in the world despite being almost 40. He is expected to play in his 22nd season with his son Bronny James and recently signed a two-year deal with the LA Lakers.
