As basketball tournaments wrap at the 2024 Paris Olympics, gold medalists will be crowned and immortalized forever as Olympic champions.
In addition to the 12 members of each winning team earning gold, one star will receive the ultimate honor of Olympic basketball MVP — a relatively new honor given to the most valuable player of the Olympic basketball tournament.
With 144 of the world's best players taking the floor for competition over two weeks, the player that earns MVP honors does so by putting forth an overall body of work that stands out above the rest. Who decides on the award?
Here is more on the voting process.
MORE: Full schedule, results for men's knockout round at Paris Olympics
Who votes on Olympics MVP?
The Olympic basketball MVP is voted on by the media and FIBA basketball experts.
It is important to acknowledge the experts in the realm of international basketball, as the differences between the FIBA game and NBA game are particularly notable. The game remains the same at large but shorter quarters and differences in court dimensions make for a different product.
With the experts voting for the award fully understanding the above differences, the criteria aligns with what makes FIBA basketball unique.
MORE: Explaining the major differences in Olympic basketball rules
The award is not necessarily new but it has only been given out twice.
In 2004, Manu Ginobili was named MVP for his efforts in leading Argentina to gold in Athens. In 2021, Kevin Durant was given the honors after leading Team USA to gold at the Tokyo Games. LeBron James is the most recent winner, earning the honor after leading Team USA to gold in Paris.
⭐️ THE MVP OF #Paris2024 Men's #Basketball ⭐️
— FIBA (@FIBA) August 10, 2024
LeBron James, United States of America 🇺🇸 👑 pic.twitter.com/7S6UWxvNPq
Based on precedent, this year's voters will likely give the award to a player who has a hand in leading their team to Olympic gold.
Olympics basketball MVP winners by year
Manu Ginobili, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are the only players to be named Olympics basketball MVP by FIBA.
| Year | Winner | Olympics |
| 2004 | Manu Ginobili, Argentina | Athens |
| 2021 | Kevin Durant, USA | Tokyo |
| 2024 | LeBron James, USA | Paris |
