LeBron James and Stephen Curry have starred in some of the most epic duels in recent NBA history.
They’ve gone back-and-forth in the NBA Finals and given us pretty memorable moments, including last season’s play-in tournament, or a couple of nights ago when LeBron said that Curry has never missed two free-throws in a row.
Then again, the craziest thing about this is the fact that James entered the league 6 years before Curry and that he hasn’t slowed down a single step.
As a matter of fact, Steph still remembers when he looked up to James as just another fan, even admitting that he has a signed jersey back in his parents’ house:
“For me, it’s a weird perspective just because I still remember my college days and he was just coming into his prime in the league,” Curry said, as quoted by Lakers Daily. “And my sophomore year, [NCAA] tournament run he came to a game, then came to a game my junior year. This is hilarious. I still have a jersey that he signed back in ’08 in my parents’ house back in Charlotte. So it’s kind of weird to think about what’s happened in the last 13, 14 years.”
Curry had already lauded James’ longevity and how he had set the standard for taking care of the body and staying relevant after that many years in the league:
“He set the standard for that,” Curry said. “Let’s keep it real – what is he, in his 18th year? Nine straight Finals, all the things that he’s accomplished. You have a vision of sustaining your prime for as long as you can, kind of reimagining what that looks like. So, you know the work that goes into it, the intentionality, especially in the offseasons, especially how you take care of your body, your mind. Balance on court, off court.”
James and Curry will certainly take part in more epic battles going forward, that’s for sure. They’re two of the most influential and dominant NBA players of all time.
Then again, if you were to ask me who could still be in the league 10 years from now, I’d take my chances on the older LeBron James.
