Anthony Slater, ESPN’s senior writer for the Warriors, recently sat down for an appearance on NBA Today and spoke a bit more about LeBron James’ free agency decision. He gave an additional update on Draymond Green’s rationale for why LeBron James did not end up with the Warriors.
“One of the interesting things is this: Draymond Green said on his podcast that they thought a part of the reason LeBron didn’t ultimately choose to go to the Warriors is because of the logo on the jersey, and the history they have,” Slater said.
“I had a source tell me they think LeBron would have been more interested in playing with Steph Curry elsewhere, away from the Warriors, than actually going to the Warriors just because of the history, and they think that’s part of the reason they were never ultimately considered.”
It would have been ideal for LeBron James to team up with Stephen Curry anywhere else, be it a team like the Charlotte Hornets (probably the only team Stephen Curry would consider leaving the Warriors for someday).
Therefore, the dream scenario for LeBron James would have been to team up with Stephen Curry elsewhere if it did not come with the burden of the Warriors’ current roster and the weight of the rivalry that he has shared with the franchise over the last decade.
Since 2015, LeBron James has faced the Warriors five times in the postseason. The Warriors won three of those five series, where James averaged 31.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 34.5% from beyond the three-point line.
Hence, even though he wanted to team up with Stephen Curry, the feeling around the league is that he didn’t do that to avoid the questions it raises about his legacy.
Additionally, the media narrative over joining a rival would make him get a ‘Kevin Durant-like’ criticism from when he joined the Warriors also factored into his decision.
In the aftermath of missing out on LeBron James, the Warriors seem content with not being championship contenders for this season. The Warriors re-signed Draymond Green on the same one-year deal that they would have had to if he picked up his player option ($27.7 million).
Consequently, they have only spots for veteran minimum-contract players left on their roster. They increasingly look like a play-in team at best for the season, where Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will spend most of the year (potentially the entire season) on the bench.
Hence, while the rivalry was not the sole reason why James did not join the Warriors, it was reportedly a factor that LeBron James considered that stopped him from joining forces with Stephen Curry and ultimately choosing the 76ers.
The Warriors had already come to terms with the fact that the time had come to plan their post-Stephen Curry era. But the ball is now in Stephen Curry’s court to see if he decides to play out his final years with the Warriors like Kobe Bryant did with the Lakers, or if he wants to chase another ring on another team.
