LeBron James has previously stated he’s always wanted to be teammates with Steph Curry, but he couldn’t overcome one factor to make it happen this summer.
LeBron and Steph are the two modern pillars of the NBA. While LeBron chases the legacy of Michael Jordan, Curry has proven that he belongs at the same table as the all-time greats.
James and Curry could’ve been teammates this summer if James had joined the Warriors, fulfilling a publicly-stated dream for the 41-year-old. Unfortunately, one factor was too much to ignore.
LeBron James wanted to play with Steph Curry on any franchise but the Warriors
Draymond Green spoke about James’ decision on his podcast, openly stating that he thought the optics of LeBron coming to the Warriors to play with Steph was too much of a gamble with his legacy.
“I ultimately don’t think Bron was ever able to get over the history, and I understand it, I get it… He’s gonna get crushed if he comes to the Warriors, ‘ahhhh man, you went to team up with Steph’, and ultimately I think that weighed in on the decision a lot.”
ESPN’s Anthony Slater also confirmed that assertion by Green, revealing James would’ve loved to team up with Steph on a different team.
“I had a source tell me they think LeBron would have been more interested in playing with Steph Curry elsewhere, away from the Warriors, than actually going to the Warriors, just because of the history. And they think that’s part of the reason they were never ultimately considered”
LeBron James on the Warriors would’ve ruined his legacy
Green’s assertion is correct. Even if LeBron’s legacy is set in stone with his accomplishments, the optics of him joining the Warriors and Curry would be terrible.
Curry and the Warriors handed him three of his six NBA Finals losses, with James only beating them once in the NBA Finals.
Everyone agrees that there was a major roster mismatch for the three titles the Warriors won due to injuries or Kevin Durant, but it still would be odd to see LeBron join the franchise he viscerally hated for years.
If the Warriors were willing to trade Curry to a new team, maybe James would’ve decided instantly to join them.
It doesn’t look like we will see these two play a competitive game of basketball as teammates ever. At least we’ll always have the 2024 Olympics to remind ourselves how good these two can be together.
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