For the first time in their careers, LeBron James and Stephen Curry joined forces this summer to help Team USA win the Olympic gold medal. It was a surreal experience for James, who mentioned on the “GoJo and Golic Show” that he was in awe watching his ex-rival Curry put on a show for the whole world.
Mike Golic: “You mentioned that Stephen Curry did the video for you and he’s a guy you’ve had plenty of battles with but also have such a close bond with. What was it like watching him go through his first Olympic Games and the trajectory that he was on?”
LeBron James: “I talked to him a lot about that and him being in his first Olympic Games for the first time he was new to it but you could see every single moment was right there. I knew the onslaught was [going to] happen… Steph did what [he] did… Hitting those big-time shots and putting everybody to sleep. It was an unbelievable moment, and I was happy to be alongside of him.”
LeBron came into this summer with two Olympic gold medals and he was among the earliest players to commit to Team USA this year to win his third. Even at 39 years old, James made a strong impression on his Olympic teammates and was even voted as the MVP of the tournament with averages of 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game.
Of course, Curry wasn’t too far behind him. After a slow start, the Warriors star caught fire down the stretch and was the hero for the USA when he dropped 36 points for the comeback against Serbia in the Semi-Finals. After scoring 24 points in the Gold medal game vs France, he finished the summer averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game.
As both stars were dominating on the court, they were developing bonds in the locker room. For years, LeBron and Curry had been considered enemies and there was real animosity during the height of their rivalry when they faced off in the Finals four straight times.
Their latest showdown was just two years ago when LeBron and the Lakers managed to beat Steph’s Warriors in the second round of the West playoffs. But now, with both legends nearing the end of their careers, they’ve become something closer to friends than enemies.
After getting a taste for life as teammates together, James and Curry have developed a new appreciation for each other’s work ethic and there are rumblings that they might consider teaming up again one day. For now, however, it’s back to competing against each other.
Now that the Olympics are over, Curry and James must return to their role as the leaders of their respective teams which means that there will be no room for tolerance any longer. With so much at stake, both Steh and LeBron will be working endlessly to achieve success and they will not hesitate to bring their best against whichever opponent is standing in their way.
Even so, the two NBA legends will never lose respect for each other and with what they accomplished this summer they will always have a shared experience to look back and feel good about. Surely, it’s not a stretch that will be forgotten anytime soon.
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