Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had the privilege of joining forces this summer for Team USA in the Paris Olympics.
They didn’t disappoint, helping the U.S. win gold in men’s basketball.
Now, Curry is looking forward to having “more experiences” with James in the future — perhaps as teammates, or perhaps not.
“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever, but in high stakes basketball with a lot on the line…I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there,” Curry told People.
He continued.
“Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not,” Curry said.
Curry added that he and James “still have to compete against each other until it’s all over” when they return to their NBA teams for the 2024-25 season.
The Warriors superstar’s comments will likely only add fuel to the idea that he and James could eventually team up in the NBA.
They’ve long been described as perfect complements to each other, and that certainly appeared to be the case at times during the 2024 Olympics.
In the semifinals against Serbia, Curry had 36 points, eight rebounds and two assists while James had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Later, with gold on the line against France, Curry’s lethal shooting helped him finish with 24 points, one rebound and five assists, and James carried his weight with 14 points, six rebounds and 10 assists.
James is under contract with the Lakers through the 2024-25 season and has a player option for the 2025-26 season. Curry, on the other hand, is under contract with the Warriors through the 2026-27 season.
Given those factors, the soonest James and Curry could team up in the NBA — barring a trade — would be in the 2025 offseason, if James were to opt out of his deal with the Lakers and then try to make his way to the Bay Area to join the Warriors.
But it’s unclear how realistic that is, and Lakers fans certainly wouldn’t be happy to see a scenario like that unfold.
Age is a major factor in any discussion about James, 39, and Curry, 36, teaming up, as both players have more days behind them in the NBA than they do ahead of them.
