MIES (Switzerland) - Nine of the NBA's top 10 most viewed players in social media this season have one thing in common.
They played FIBA ball last summer.
Most-viewed players | Player | Last FIBA Event |
|---|---|---|
1 | LeBron James | Paris 2024 |
2 | Stephen Curry | Paris 2024 |
3 | Luka Doncic | FIBA OQT Greece 2024 |
4 | Victor Wembanyama | Paris 2024 |
5 | Nikola Jokic | Paris 2024 |
6 | Ja Morant | - |
7 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Paris 2024 |
8 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Paris 2024 |
9 | Anthony Edwards | Paris 2024 |
10 | Jayson Tatum | Paris 2024 |
The league has announced the players that received the most views with the USA's Olympic MVP LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and All-Star Five selection Steph Curry of Golden State occupying the top two spots.
James played in the Olympics for the fourth time and had his best performance to lead the Americans to the top of the podium, while Curry was an Olympic rookie but had two of the most dazzling games in international hoops history, in the Semi-Final win over Serbia and the Gold Medal Game triumph over Serbia.
Third on the list was Luka Doncic, who followed up his first NBA Finals appearance with Dallas by representing Slovenia at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus.
Fans couldn't keep their eyes of Doncic in Greece, nor back in the NBA, where he was traded in mid-season by the Mavs to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Another Olympic first-timer, Victor Wembanyama of France, followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with San Antonio by representing his country on home soil and helping Les Bleus reach the Gold Medal Game.
Wemby made the All-Star Five at the Olympics like James and Curry, and also Nikola Jokic of Serbia, who is No. 5 on list of the top 10 most viewed players in social media.
Jokic, a three-time MVP of the NBA, was No. 6 overall in scoring at 18.8 points per game while his averages of 10.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists were the highest at the Olympics, and a huge reason why Serbia almost beat the USA in the Semi-Finals and did overcome Germany in the Bronze Medal Game.
Jokic has been spectacular once again this season with the Denver Nuggets, his all-time team in the NBA.
After Ja Morant of Memphis, the only player in the top 10 not to play international basketball last summer, comes Canada superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar led his country to the Quarter-Finals in their first Olympics since 2000.
The two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is No. 8 on the list. He had a brilliant summer even before making his bow at the Summer Games because in Piraeus, he led Greece to victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and was MVP.
Ninth on the list is USA high-flier Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who played at the Olympics for the first time. He put on a captivating performance for the Americans in their run to the gold medal.
Coming in at No. 10 on the list is Jayson Tatum, the NBA championship-winning forward of the Boston Celtics who played for the USA at the Olympics for the second time.
FIBA