It was a glorious thing to watch – LeBron James and Stephen Curry competing together to win gold at the Paris Olympics.
LeBron was the deserving MVP of the Olympics, the tone-setter and primary shot creator for the Americans, averaging 14.2 points, 8.5 assists, and 6.8 rebounds in less than 25 minutes a game. Curry started the Paris Olympics slowly, but when it mattered most in the clutch moments of medal round games against Serbia and France, he did what he could only do.
That left fans wanting more and somewhat clamoring for a Curry and LeBron reunion in the NBA. Curry was asked about this in a extensive interview with People’s Natasha Dye.
“All the battles we’ve had on the court and back and forth, the fact that we actually have to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in basketball with a lot of play. the line.. .I think there is a deepened respect and friendship there…
“Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we are teammates or not,” he adds, noting that the two basketball greats “still have to compete against each other until it’s all over,” when they return to their respective. NBA teams for new season in October.
Both Curry and LeBron inked extensions with their current teams this summer, keeping LeBron in Los Angeles for another year (at least, he has a player option after next season) and Curry in San Francisco for three more years.
Consider that a sign that LeBron and Curry don’t mesh in the NBA.
Both men are housed and have said they want to retire wearing the uniform they have now. Last season around the trade deadline, Warriors ownership and management made a push to see if they could get LeBron to come to the Bay Area, but that reportedly never got past LeBron’s agent Rich Paul. On a purely practical level, LeBron is the face of the Lakers franchise now and the man who puts butts in seats, gets sponsors to sign with the club, and has fans tuning into his cable broadcasts – LeBron makes the franchise too much money. that they should consider trading him. The same is true of Curry in Golden State. The only way the trade is even considered is if LeBron or Curry demands it. Neither would do it now, and even if they did the trade cost of making the move would destroy the roster of the team that gets both, it would be the two stars against the world with not enough talent around them to win (the situation. both already facing).
It would be fun to have LeBron and Curry competing together again for something meaningful, and we’ll always have the memories of Paris. But the duo reprising their role as teammates, this time in the NBA, just isn’t happening.
