Lakers News: LeBron James Open Up on Idea of Playing With Steph Curry

Will James and Curry team up again?
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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will reunite with Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry on the court this week for the first time since the two were teammates for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The Lakers and Warriors will play preseason games against each other on both Tuesday and Friday, with the first game taking place at the Crypto.com Arena and the second game occurring at the Chase Center.

James and Curry have long been rivals on the court, going back to when the Warriors faced the Cleveland Cavaliers, where James then played, in the NBA Finals in four consecutive seasons. Curry and the Warriors won three of those four NBA Finals, and James and the Cavaliers won once in that span.

Off the court, the two have had a long relationship over their respective careers, with James even serving as a mentor early in Curry's career. That relationship developed into a rivalry when the two constantly competed for championships against each other, but has since returned to a friendship.

That friendship appeared to deepen when James and Curry became teammates for the first time in their careers during their run at the Paris Olympics — which ended in Team USA taking home the gold medal.

James spoke on the opportunity to play alongside Curry during the Olympics on Monday.

"It was everything and more," James said, via Dave McMenamin. "I was super excited to finally be able to team up with him, in a win or die type atmosphere and that's what it was, being a part of the Olympics. It was everything I dreamed of ... great memories. Something I'll remember from my basketball career for the rest of my life."

While James described playing alongside Curry as "everything and more," he has "no idea" if they will ever become teammates again. Both James and Curry are in the latter parts of their careers, with James entering his 22nd NBA season. James has not stated when he plans to retire, but it would be surprising to see him play for a few more seasons.

Curry might have more seasons left in his career than James, but it's uncertain if he will ever leave the Warriors. Curry has spent his entire career with Golden State and is rightfully the face of the franchise. Barring an unforeseen exit from Curry, James would likely have to join the Warriors to play alongside Curry in the NBA.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. She has been covering college and professional sports since 2022.