Steph and LeBron together at the Olympics, a perfect passing of the torch for Team USA originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry and LeBron James have worn matching wires as NBA All-Star Game teammates representing the Western Conference five times. Curry won his only All-Star Game MVP in one of those instances (2022), but the players are treating the final score like a training camp game.
This time, the stakes are higher: it’s for the honor of bragging rights on the international basketball stage.
The Warriors had sniffed the idea of pairing Curry and James with Golden State during last season’s trade deadline. Now that Steve Kerr is the head coach of Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, he can already see the two running their own clinic against the world’s best competition.
Imagine one of them pushing the ball on a fastbreak. LeBron finds Steph for a 3-pointer to go up 30, and Curry turns to run back to the defense mid-flight. There will surely come a time when Curry catches James in stride for a hammer dunk that defies age and athleticism.
Basketball euphoria for a coach to enjoy the view. Kerr has already watched this movie in his head.
“I’ve talked to both of them about the idea of being together after years of them competing against each other at such high stakes,” Kerr said during a recent Zoom with media members. “They’re clearly a great fit. I think the idea of Steph taking the ball and LeBron pushing him in transition is pretty intriguing.
“Of course, Steph is going to play the ball, too. And LeBron has become such a good shooter. But they’re both so good at so many different aspects of the game.”
Kerr is leading Team USA for the final time and won’t have to wait much longer to see his vision become a reality. He and his coaching staff fly to Las Vegas on Wednesday to prepare for Team USA’s training camp for their first exhibition game. Players arrive Friday night for four days of training, beginning Saturday at the Mendenhall Center on the UNLV campus.
On June 10, they will play against strong Canada in the T-Mobile Arena in preparation for Paris.
In an offseason that sees Curry enter his 16th season with the Warriors and James enter an unprecedented 22nd NBA season, the teams have played each other 52 times — 28 playoff games, 23 regular-season games and once in the play-in tournament. Curry has the upper hand, with a 29-23 record against James, and three titles to LeBron’s one when they face off.
The two aren’t considered historical rivals like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, despite their many battles. Their relationship and friendship has grown as their lives have evolved from being superstar basketball players to creating entities that extend far beyond sports. Curry and James are both one-name brands whose influence is global.
Steph and LeBron have been at the center of the ring for the NBA championship belt for four consecutive seasons. They have been the two faces of basketball for a generation and both should find their way onto the sport’s Mount Rushmore at some point.
“I think they’re really excited to compete together for the first time and to find some nuances in training and friendlies that they can really exploit and explore, just to see where they can have an impact on each other,” Kerr said. “They’re both really, really excited about the idea of competing together.”
Amid Team USA teammates like Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and the rest of the roster, a wave of stars is now taking center stage. It’s a good thing Curry, in his first Olympics, and James, in his fourth, get a shot at gold together. Kerr can’t wait to get the show started.
Then the torch can be passed.
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