"Ultimate nuclear weapon" - Skip Bayless picks between LeBron James & Kevin Durant for early Olympic MVP

Team USA had a great game against Serbia on Sunday, thanks to the leadership of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. While the other players struggled to make a significant impact on the game, both James and Durant took over and led the national team to their first win in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

James finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists as he shot 69.2% from the field. Durant, on the other hand, came off the bench as it was his first game with the team after dealing with a calf injury. It was apparent that it didn't hold him back as he scored 23 points and grabbed five rebounds. He also made 8-9 shots from the field and a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc.

They both have a case for winning the MVP award of the Olympics. With how they've performed in their first game, it has been tough to choose between the two. Longtime sports columnist Skip Bayless thought about who was more deserving, and eventually picked the Phoenix Suns star forward.

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"He [Durant] changed everything," Bayless said in his UNDISPUTED show on Tuesday. "He always changes everything 'cause that's what he does. He's the ultimate nuclear weapon because he doesn't need to touch the ball bery much. His international history would tell you, he's gonna keep doing this."

He added, "If he keeps doing that, I would have to give him a slight nod, even though LeBron's driven to do this. And LeBron's got the sugar in his hands, he controls the flow."

The Americans still have a few games left in their schedule. Depending on the performance that both James and Durant are expected to show, it could sway the public's opinion on which player deserves the MVP award.

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LeBron James gets a new nickname

Fans find the heroics that LeBron James has done for Team USA during their tune-up games incredible; this has earned him the nickname "Captain LeMerica" on social media. But what pushed the nickname even more was when he played an important role as USA's flagbearer during the opening ceremony.

Basketball Reference updated the list of LeBron's nicknames on his player profile, and shared the development to their X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday. They shared it along with a repost of USA Basketball's post featuring the moniker.

What other nicknames would come from this year's Olympics? Let us know in the comments below!

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