Stephen Curry and LeBron James have worn the same uniforms as teammates in the NBA All-Star Game five times, representing the Western Conference. Curry won the All-Star Game MVP award in one of those games (2022), but the players treat the final score like a training camp scrimmage.
This time, the stakes are even higher, with bragging rights on the world basketball stage at stake.
The Warriors were sniffing around the idea of pairing Curry with James in Golden State at last season's trade deadline, and now Steve Kerr, head coach of the U.S. team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, is already envisioning the pair putting on their own clinic against the best competition in the world.
Imagine either of them pushing the ball out on a fast break, LeBron hitting Steph for a three-pointer to put them up by 30, Curry dropping back on defense mid-flight, and Curry striding through James for a dunk that defies age and athleticism.
The high of basketball as the coach enjoys the view. Kerr is already watching the movie in his head.
“I've talked to both of them about the idea of coming together after years of playing against each other at really high risk,” Kerr said recently over Zoom with reporters. “They've obviously got a lot of chemistry. I think the idea of Steph playing off the ball and LeBron pushing in transition is pretty intriguing.”
“Obviously, Steph will handle the ball, and LeBron has become a great shooter, but they're both very good in different areas of the game.”
Kerr will lead Team USA one last time, and he won't have to wait too long to see his vision become reality. He and his coaching staff will fly to Las Vegas on Wednesday to prepare for training camp before Team USA's first exhibition game. The players will arrive Friday night and begin four days of practice on Saturday at the Mendenhall Center on the UNLV campus.
They will then face a strong Canadian team at T-Mobile Arena on June 10th in preparation for the Paris tournament.
With Curry entering his 16th season with the Warriors and James entering his unprecedented 22nd season this offseason, the two have already faced off 52 times: 28 in the playoffs, 23 in the regular season and once in the play-in tournament. Curry holds the advantage over James with a 29-23 record and has three wins against LeBron to his one.
Despite their battles, the two are not considered historic rivals like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Their relationship and friendship has grown as their lives have evolved from basketball superstars to beings far beyond sports. Both Curry and James are major brands with global influence.
Steph and LeBron stood in the center of the ring for four consecutive NBA championship belts. They were the two faces of basketball for a generation and will one day both be on basketball's Mount Rushmore.
“I think they're both really excited to be playing their first game together and we'll have to see through practice and friendlies to find those nuances that they can really utilize and explore and see where they can influence each other,” Kerr said. “They're both really, really excited about the idea of playing a game together.”
With Team USA teammates Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and others, stars are stepping up to center stage. It's only natural that Curry, making his Olympic debut, and James, making his fourth, both have a chance to win gold. Kerr can't wait for the action to begin.
And so the passing of the torch begins.
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