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Steve Kerr Names Surprising Player As ‘Unsung’ Team USA MVP

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr revealed his surprising choice for the team’s ‘unsung’ MVP of the Olympics. He selected an underappreciated guard over other stars they rostered. The Americans won the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris after defeating host France, 98-87. The victory is the United States fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and 17th overall in men’s basketball.

Steve Kerr Names Surprising Player As ‘Unsung’ Team USA MVP

Kerr Praises Devin Booker After Gold Medal Game

Team USA fielded a roster full of NBA superstars in the 2024 Paris Olympics. They included all-time greats such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. However for Kerr, it was Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker who stood out. Kerr named him as the unsung MVP due to his selfless commitment to the team and consistent play.

“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”

Booker scored 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the gold medal game against France. He also added six rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. The 27-year-old started all six of Team USA’s games in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Booker posted averages of 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.5 steals in 22.0 minutes per game. The 6-oot-6 guard also shot an insane 56.8% from the field and 56.5% from three-point range.

Aside from his tangible contributions, Booker has received massive praise for doing the dirty work with his tireless effort on defense, buying into the team concept, not disrupting the flow of the offense to hunt for his own shots, and playing his role exceptionally well. Nonetheless, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was named the official MVP of the men’s basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Devin Booker Wins Second Olympic Gold Medal

Booker captured his second straight Olympic gold medal in Paris after being a member of the Team USA squad that triumphed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). With two Olympic gold medals already under his belt, a win at the FIBA World Cup is the only thing missing from his acclaimed international basketball resume.

Devin Booker Is Approaching The Prime Of His Career

Booker is approaching the peak of his prime at 27 years old. He might be in line for his best NBA campaign after a stellar run with Team USA. Throughout the 2020s, fans, analysts and general managers have widely regarded him as the best shooting guard in the entire league.

The former Kentucky Wildcat averaged 27.1 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 68 regular season games during the 2023-24 season. His assists numbers were a career-high, as well as his 36.0 minutes per game with the top-heavy Suns lacking depth. Booker had another solid season where he made his fourth NBA All-Star appearance and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team. The Suns, where he is teammates with Team USA’s all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant, were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by another Team USA teammate, Anthony Edwards in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Jeremiah Santos

Jeremiah Santos is a sportswriter and analyst hailing from the Philippines who boasts more than a decade of experience in covering various sporting events. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, earning cum laude distinction in 2022.