Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and four-time MVP LeBron James have had a number of battles.
In fact, Curry holds an 29-22 lead over James in their head-to-head matchups, which go back to 2009. Of course, the games weren’t all against the Los Angeles Lakers. Their first matchups took place when James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Kid from Akron taking both games.
Indeed, their most important bouts came with James playing for the Cavs. Meeting in four consecutive NBA Finals, James managed to lead Cleveland to a championship in 2016. In doing so, he not only pulled off the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history, but brought the Cavs their first title.
Watching them compete against one another, it’s clear that legacies were on the line. This led to what could be considered a healthy rivalry between the two. James obviously holds the edge in all-time debates, but they shared the 2010s.
Warriors Legend Stephen Curry Open To LeBron James Team-Up?
This summer, Curry and James were able to team up for the first time. With USA Basketball looking to make a statement in the Paris Olympics, the two future Hall of Famers committed to Team USA rather quickly. James impressed throughout and Curry stole the show end, the tournament mirroring their career trajectories.
After winning gold, it was clear that a new level of respect had formed between them.
“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 tells PEOPLE’s Natasha Dye.
“Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not,” he adds, though acknowledging that they “still have to compete against each other until it’s all over.”
A Golden Fever Dream
Curry’s comments reflect what seems to be the Warriors’ fever dream.
Draymond Green has pushed for James —who may be his closest NBA companion —to join Golden State. Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers has said that he would like to see Curry and James on the same team. Mike Dunleavy Jr., Myers’s successor, called up the Lakers in an effort to acquire James.
Frankly, had Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul not pushed back on him switching teams again, the 20-time All-Star might be on the Warriors right now. With James’s latest contract containing a no-trade clause, him playing for Golden State in the immediate future is even less likely. Unless James formally makes a trade request, he’ll probably be in purple and gold throughout 2024-25.
After signing a 1+1 contract with the Lakers this summer, the King could leave next offseason though. The Warriors are projected to have $13.6 million in cap space and could feasibly acquire him in a sign-and-trade. Such a deal would likely include Andrew Wiggins, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson for salary-matching purposes.
With Curry’s contract running through 2026-27, the Warriors might only have one year of the James-Curry tandem. Yet, the price of admission will be well worth it if they lead Golden State to a championship. They may even motivate each other to play a bit longer.
