FILE – Steph Curry (4) and LeBron James (6) of the United States celebrate after beating France to win the gold medal during a men's gold medal basketball game at the Bercy Environment at the 2024 Summer Olympics , on August 10, 2024, in Paris. France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
EL SEGUNDO, California—LeBron James finally teamed up with Stephen Curry during the Paris Olympics, and the leading scorer in NBA history got more than just a gold medal from the experience.
“It was everything and more,” James said Monday before Los Angeles left for two preseason games this week against Curry's Golden State Warriors.
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“I was very excited to finally be able to team up with him in a win-or-die atmosphere,” LeBron added. “That's what it was like to be part of the Olympic Games. It was everything I dreamed of and aspired to want, being part of that team, along with Steph. Great memories. Something I will remember from my basketball career for the rest of my life, for sure.”
READ: LeBron and Steph Curry 'excited' to join forces for Paris Olympics
And when James was asked if he could ever imagine being teammates with Curry again, James didn't rule it out outright.
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“I have no idea,” he said.
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James and Curry are arguably the best players of their era and have a history of competing against each other. They met in four consecutive NBA Finals between 2015 and 2018, with Curry's Warriors winning three of four over James' Cleveland Cavaliers.
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They had never been teammates outside of the NBA All-Star Games until the Paris Olympics, when both veterans played a major role in the United States' triumph. James recorded a triple-double against Nikola Jokic in the United States' victory over Serbia in the semifinal, while Curry's barrage of late 3-pointers finished off France to win gold.
READ: Inside Steph Curry's burst that secured Team USA gold.
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James, 39, said this summer that the Paris Games would be his last, so any chance of playing alongside Curry again would likely have to happen in the NBA. That seems very unbelievable; LeBron is committed to the Lakers for two more seasons with his son, Bronny, while Curry, 36, signed with Golden State for three more seasons.
James said last season that he hopes to finish his career with the Lakers, while Curry has said he wants to spend his entire career with the team that drafted him in 2009. Even if they never wear the same uniform outside of an All-Star again. Sport, James reiterated his respect for Curry.
“I understand what Steph has done in this game,” James said. “I understand what he's done for his organization, what he's done for the community, for people around the world, just his approach to the game and how he is as a man. … When you have that kind of respect for someone and then you're around them every day and you see the way they work and how they treat their craft, it's a great thing. “You can just respect that and not take it for granted.”
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The Lakers face the Warriors on Tuesday night in Las Vegas and Friday night in San Francisco.
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