We’re over a week into NBA free agency, and LeBron James is still considering his options on where to play for his record 24th season. While the Golden State Warriors are not the favorites to land James, they still have a puncher’s chance to land the four-time NBA champion.
Over the past few weeks, things have been admittedly quiet in San Francisco as they wait for James’ decision, but Steph Curry himself recently broke that silence. In a chat with the media during a golf event, Curry gave his thoughts on a possible pairing with his longtime basketball rival.
“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron,” said Curry. “We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would love to play together. I mean, hopefully it happens. But he’s deserved the opportunity and the right to take his time with the decision.”
Curry, 38, has had plenty of high-stakes battles with James over the years, and nobody imagined a scenario where they’d join forces. Nevertheless, it seems the stars are aligning in a way that could change everything. The only catch is that Curry will not leave the Warriors to make it happen, meaning LeBron will have to come to him if he wants Curry as his teammate.
“Dub Nation is strong,” Curry added. “It’s been great to see them, not only the history before I got there in ‘09, but to see how we’ve grown in the last 17 years that I’ve been out here. It’s a lot to be proud of, of building an organization to the heights that we have. Myself, Draymond, Klay, KD, Andre, and a whole cast of others, they know who they are. So it’s just a matter of being grateful that I get to represent one fanbase for, hopefully, my entire career.”
As a four-time champion, two-time MVP, and 12x All-Star, Steph has already cemented his legacy as the greatest Warrior ever and a top 10 player in the history of the sport. Even so, both he and the Warriors remain committed to winning in the final act of his career.
With LeBron, the Warriors can take a step toward that goal. At 41, LeBron isn’t as powerful as he used to be, but he can still deliver on the court with averages of 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 51.5% shooting last season.
Curry has played against superstars in the past (such as Kevin Durant), and he’s known to have great respect for LeBron, someone he played with on the US Men’s National Team. There’s no question they would get along in the locker room, and joining forces may be the only way for them to compete against steep competition in the West.
In the end, despite his history against Curry (which includes four Finals matchups), there’s no good reason for LeBron James to dismiss the Warriors as a potential landing spot. There, he can thrive in a winning environment of like-minded players, all while never leaving the comforts of California. For Steph, the chance to play together is exciting enough, but the chance to golf on a more regular basis brings the hype to a whole new level.
