The first foreign partnership between LeBron James and Stephen Curry began with a phone call in the fall.
It was at that point, as Curry recalled, that the two longtime NBA rivals discussed the option of teaming up at the 2024 Paris Olympics and joining forces to possibly shape the greatest collection of skill in basketball history.
“He was the first user I talked to,” Curry said Sunday afternoon of his verbal exchange with James. “‘Would this be something he would have to do?’ And from there I said, ‘Let’s do it. ‘”
Despite all that Curry, James and veteran Hall of Famer Kevin Durant have completed in their careers, they have yet to play together for Team USA. U. S. Curry played with Durant in gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 World Championships. James and Durant, meanwhile, won gold at the London Olympics in 2012.
But this summer, the trio of superstars, now in their thirties, will speak together for the first time on a foreign stage. But don’t call it “last hurrah. “
“No,” Durant told ESPN with a smile, when asked if this is how he envisions partnering with James and Curry on this team. “These guys are still betting at an elite level. I feel like Bron could play four or five more and be here in 2028 [at the Los Angeles Olympics]. Steph is still betting very well. I’m doing too GOOD.
“I don’t need it to be a farewell excursion or just the three of us. It’s about looking for that fifth consecutive victory. “
Ahead of Wednesday’s Olympics build-up to Canada in Las Vegas (10:30 p. m. ET), the EE. UU. es team a heavy favorite to win that fifth straight gold medal, in part due to the presence of the NBA’s top three American stars. Durant may be the first man to win 4 Olympic gold medals in basketball, having been a member of the last 3 winning Olympic teams. James, who will soon celebrate his 40th birthday, can add a third gold medal to an already impressive foreign record.
And then Curry, who after 15 seasons in the NBA is preparing for his Olympic debut.
“yes, that’s really cool,” Curry said. I’ve been at the U. S. world championship level before, but I don’t know what to expect in terms of this challenge and experience. That’s why I felt afraid in the first educational sessions. I’m sure I will. for the [Wednesday] game just because I know it means a lot. . .
“Add in the surreality of who’s on this team and all the battles we’ve had in our careers and the fact that we can bring that power together as teammates. So I’m loving every minute of it. “
A sense of awe permeated the early days of Team USA’s educational camp. U. S. Previous Olympic rosters were full of talent, but there is an explanation why this organization has been compared (rarely favorably) to the legendary Dream Team of 1992.
“Do you see this equipment?” Center Bam Adebayo, who is playing in his second Olympics after winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games, said Sunday. “When you combine a team like this and compare it to the Dream Team, it shows how wonderful this team can be if we play the right way. “
“They gave us LeBron, KD and Steph,” Team USA rookie Anthony Edwards said. “So I don’t feel like we can beat those three on the field alone.
“So I mean, if you combine two of us normal guys, it’ll be fine. “
It was surprising to see Curry and James after all take the court for Team USA after their historic playoff battles: four head-to-head meetings in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018 and back in the semifinals of the Western Conference in 2023, where James’s Los Angeles The Lakers eliminated Curry and James, the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
“It’s like a healthy resentment toward somebody who gets in your way,” Curry said of his playoff battles against James. “But through it all, there’s obviously the utmost respect for who he is as a user and a player and how smart he is and the challenge of trying to beat him and figure that out every year. “
James added: “I know how much he loves winning and how much he loves being competitive. We had those short moments like the All-Star Games or whatever, where we spent that brief period of time in combination and it was super biological and easy. “
LeBron James and Stephen Curry
Curry, James and Durant have spent much of the past two decades battling for NBA supremacy. For the next six weeks, they’ll play side-by-side and try to enjoy the process of the first (and likely only) trio. Olympic career on the foreign stage.
“I can’t speak for these two guys, but for me it will be euphoric and humbling,” James told ESPN. “For the last 15, 17, 18 years, there has been talk about me and Steph, KD in the NBA.
“We don’t know how many more opportunities we will have to play. So to enjoy this moment at this level of our career is just super special. “