Ranking the Best Performers of the 2024 Paris Olympics Men's Basketball

LeBron James is definitely at the top of this list at this point. It is rare for a 39-year-old to play at a high level like he does. If you are not impressed, James managed to tally a triple-double for the second time in Olympic basketball history, and one can say that the Lakers star’s efficient performances on the big stage has definitely set the bar for the team at this point. It will go down as one of the massive campaigns for a player’s career, and James has definitely earned his place in the annals of Team USA as he wraps up his legendary basketball career with a bang on the international stage. At this point, winning the gold at the age of 39 and being named as the Olympics MVP is certainly a feat that will further cement his place in the annals of NBA history.

Despite Canada falling short in the quarterfinals, it is easy to say that Canada will now be a team to beat in the years to come thanks to the prominence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His final run in the game against France was sensational, and he nearly carried them to a comeback victory had he had enough time to pull it off. The OKC star has definitely entrenched himself as one of the best performers in the game, and it does seem that he will be taking a much bigger stride in the coming years as Canada’s ace.

The best young player of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Josh Giddey has been sensational in his games for Australia as the rising star in the squad. While he has struggled in his NBA campaign with the Thunder and was later traded to the Bulls, Giddey showed the world that he definitely has what it takes to put up impressive performances when needed as long as he has the ball. His all-around performances have been fun to watch, and one can say that Giddey’s spectacle in the big stage is yet to be his best, and that is what makes him scary as he continues to develop his talent in the game at this point.

Well, the NBA MVP is definitely on this list, and he sure impress a lot of fans with the way he took on the challenge to carry Serbia to bigger heights. Jokic was putting up insane stat lines in the competition, being in the top three in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. While he did not have an impressive outing in Serbia’s colossal breakdown against the United States in the semis, it cannot be denied that Jokic is expected to continue bringing more impressive games for the team in the next edition of the Olympics, and one should tip their hats for him in playing at a high level on the biggest international stage.

This is arguably Patty Mills’ last performance in the Olympics, but it is worth noting that he has been impressive in all five campaigns that he has played for Australia. One can never forget that stepback, fadeaway shot over Nikola Jokic in the quarterfinals, which was nearly blocked at the buzzer. “Olympic Patty” has definitely shocked a lot of players considering that he has played at a high level in the game over the years whenever he is on the Olympic stage, and one can say that he has indeed been an elite force this edition as well.

Fans were initially hyped at the sight of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert playing together on the big stage, but they certainly did not expect to see Evan Fournier shine bright on the Olympic stage. It was clear that the French guard was not really expected to even play a lot of minutes in the games, but he did show that he had what it takes to become one of the massive forces for France when they needed him the most.