“Every time they see me, they ask, ‘What’s up, champ?’ “It’s great to hear that from your peers,” Team USA member Jayson Tatum told Andscape before of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Tatum, fresh off his NBA title win, is attempting to join an elite group of players who have won the Larry O’Brien Trophy and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. Two of his Celtics teammates, Jue Holiday and Derrick White, are on the Team USA roster vying for the same accolade.
Here, we look at players who earned a “double-double” of basketball success in the same year.
Michael Jordan (1992)
The GOAT was fresh off his 1992 NBA Finals MVP performance over the Trail Blazers when he joined the original Dream Team in Barcelona for the 1992 Olympics. After averaging 35.8 points, 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds against Portland, Jordan adjusted his style to FIBA rules and dominated other facets of the game, averaging an incredible 4.1 steals through Team USA’s six wins. As is well documented, the Dream Team crushed its opponents by an average margin of 43.8 points en route to the golden medal.
Scottie Pippen (1992)
Jordan’s running mate had one of his best NBA Finals performances against the Blazers, averaging 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Besides being Chicago’s primary playmaker, Pippen excelled in clamping down on Clyde Drexler, holding Portland’s star player to 40% shooting through six games. His playmaking skills translated to Barcelona as he led Team USA in assists (5.9) — averaging more dimes than Magic Johnson — as he continued to showcase his all-around skillset on the world stage.
LeBron James (2012).
One year after his meltdown against the Mavericks, James won his first NBA title in the 2012 NBA Finals against the Thunder. “The King” brought his newfound confidence to the 2012 London Olympics and was likely welcomed with the same “What’s up, champ” greetings that Tatum is receiving this year.Coach Mike Krzyzewski deployed James as a classic small forward, with him defending the wings and playing off of Chris Paul, who handled the ball. James finished third in points but led Team USA in assists, with 5.6.
Kyrie Irving (2016 )
The ball-handling wizard had just hit one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history, crushing the Warriors in Game 7 at Oracle. With James, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook all missing the 2016 Rio Olympics, it was Irving’s turn to shine, and he delivered. Through eight games, Irving led Team USA in assists (4.9) and was third in points (11.4), shedding the “selfish” reputation that had plagued him throughout his career by allowing Kevin Durant Carmelo Anthony, Klay Thompson, and Paul George will each attempt more field goals than him. Irving characterized playing for Coach K as “a dream come true.”
Holiday & Khris Middleton (2021)
Holiday and Khris Middleton also achieved a “double-double” by winning the NBA title with the Bucks in 2021 and gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, because the Olympics were postponed by a year (from 2020 to 2021), they are still referred to as 2020 Olympics gold medalists in history books. As a result, they do not meet the technical requirements for this list.
For what it’s worth, Holiday might become only the second player to reach a “double-double” of basketball greatness on two separate occasions. Isn’t that a feather in his expanding Hall of Fame resume?
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