LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry were tasked with creating the perfect NBA player when they came together for a conversation as part of NBA Today’s Christmas Special. James, Durant, and Curry each picked something from one of the other two to build an incredible player.
LeBron James: “Give me KD’s pull-up hesi left. For sure.”
Kevin Durant: “Probably with Steph, I would say the quick twitch on the jump shot.”
Stephen Curry: “I’m going to take Bron’s IQ. Being able to control the tempo and the flow of a game single-handedly is insane.”
(starts at 2:41 mark):
Good luck stopping a player who has all of this. James’ IQ, Durant’s pull-up, and Curry’s quick jumper have played a big part in them being near-unstoppable forces in the NBA for well over a decade and it would be rather unfair if one individual had all three.
James, Durant, and Curry sat down for this conversation during their time together with Team USA at the Olympics. It was the first time that all three all-time greats teamed up in a competitive setting and they led the United States to the gold.
It was incredible to see James, Durant, and Curry play together, and their time as teammates strengthened their bond. While they might be friendlier off the court now, all that goes out the window when they step out on the court.
“That’s what I love about these guys,” Durant said. “They’re nice dudes but they’re killers too and that’s why they stay at the level that we’re at because you got that type of mentality.”
James agreed with his great rival.
“That’s why we’re still going,” James said. “You don’t have that burning feeling in your stomach, like if you’re not getting up to play KD or Steph or some of the great talents that we have in our league, it’s like I done lost my drive of what this game is all about and that’s a competition.”
"They're nice dudes, but they're killers too."
LeBron, Steph & KD… an exclusive interview with 3 NBA OGs playing this #NBAXmas on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/DoExCEbkvd
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2024
Durant also made it clear that you can’t be friends on the court with the likes of James and Curry. He stressed the need to have a healthy dislike for them and that is indeed required. While all three greats have a healthy dislike for each other, they love the game a lot.
“This is my happy place,” Curry said. “… We get to hoop, and work, and trying to still get better.”
“That’s just who we are,” James added. “… We are naturally born, driven hoopers who love the game and refuse to cheat the game while we’re playing. That’s what it is.”
"We're just hoopers. We are naturally, born, driven hoopers…"
LeBron, Steph & KD… an exclusive interview with 3 NBA OGs playing this #NBAXmas on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/kJN5P7vlqp
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2024
James, Durant, and Curry certainly can’t be accused of cheating the game. They’ve given it their all and deserve a lot of respect. It’s going to be a sad day when they walk away from the game and we should appreciate them while they’re still around.
We’ll see James and Curry go up against each other soon, as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Wednesday at 8 PM ET. It could well be the last time they battle on the court on Christmas Day.
As for Durant, he goes up against another all-time great in Nikola Jokic, with the Phoenix Suns taking on the Denver Nuggets at Footprint Center on Wednesday at 10:30 PM ET.
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