EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James lastly teamed up with Stephen Curry in the course of the Paris Olympics, and the highest scorer in NBA historical past obtained greater than a gold medal out of the expertise.
“It was all the things and extra,” James mentioned Monday earlier than Los Angeles departed for 2 pre-season video games this week towards Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
“I used to be tremendous excited to have the ability to lastly staff up with him in a win-or-die sort environment,” James added. “That’s what it was, being part of the Olympics. It was all the things that I dreamed of and aspired to need, to be part of that staff, together with Steph. Nice recollections. One thing that I’ll keep in mind from my basketball profession for the remainder of my life, for certain.”
And when James was requested whether or not he might ever envision himself being teammates with Curry once more, James didn’t dismiss it out of hand.
“I do not know,” he mentioned.
James and Curry are arguably the very best gamers of their period and have a historical past competing towards each other. They met in 4 consecutive NBA Finals from 2015-18, and Curry’s Warriors gained three of 4 over James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.
That they had by no means been teammates outdoors of NBA All-Star video games till the Paris Olympics, when each veterans performed main roles within the U.S. triumph. James recorded a triple-double towards Nikola Jokic within the U.S. victory over Serbia within the semifinal, whereas Curry’s barrage of late 3-pointers completed off France to win gold.
The 39-year-old James mentioned this summer time that the Paris Video games could be his final, so any probability of enjoying alongside Curry once more would most likely need to occur within the NBA. That appears extremely unlikely; LeBron is dedicated to the Lakers for 2 extra seasons alongside his son, Bronny, whereas the 36-year-old Curry is signed with Golden State for 3 extra seasons.
James mentioned final season that he hopes to complete his profession with the Lakers, whereas Curry has mentioned he needs to spend his complete profession with the staff that drafted him in 2009. Even when they by no means put on the identical uniform once more outdoors of an All-Star Recreation, James reiterated his respect for Curry.
“I perceive what Steph has performed for this sport,” James mentioned. “I perceive what he’s performed for his group, what he’s performed for the neighborhood, folks everywhere in the world, simply by his strategy to the sport and the way he’s as a person. … When you’ve that sort of respect for anyone and then you definately get to be round them each day and also you see the best way they work and the way they deal with their craft, it’s a fairly cool factor. You’re in a position to simply respect that and never take it as a right.”
The Lakers face the Warriors on Tuesday evening in Las Vegas and on Friday evening in San Francisco.
