The 2024 Summer Olympics provided the Los Angeles Lakers with several glimpses of hope. Nothing was quite as intriguing as watching franchise players Anthony Davis and LeBron James taking on featured roles as Team USA overcame several close encounters to win the gold medal.
In the long-term, however, there may not have been a more significant development than James playing alongside longtime rival Stephen Curry.
Curry and James are the preeminent stars of their generation. Since 2010-11, they've combined to win eight of the 14 championships, even going toe-to-toe in four NBA Finals and meeting in the second round of the 2023 postseason.
In a recent interview with Natasha Dye of People, Curry spoke about the experience of turning James from a rival to a teammate—and how he hopes there will be more opportunities to share the court moving forward.
"'Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we're teammates or not,' he adds, noting that the two basketball greats 'still have to compete against each other until it's all over" when they return to their respective NBA teams for a new season in October.'"
It's a relatively ambiguous quote, but the mere mention of the possibility that they could be teammates again in the future is certain to raise eyebrows.
Stephen Curry comments on playing with or against LeBron James again
In addition to their eight combined championships, Curry and James are among the most decorated individual players ever. They've won a combined six regular season MVP and five Finals MVP awards, with three scoring titles, 30 All-NBA appearances, and five seasons as a statistical league leader between them.
Their individual success has been achieved in vastly different ways, but the Olympics offered proof that their respective style of play can complement the other to perfection.
The obvious hurdle is that Curry is preparing for his 16th season with the Golden State Warriors—the team that drafted him in 2009. In an era in which loyalty has taken on a different definition, Curry is something of an organizational traditionalist.
Curry has stated that he hopes to retire with the Warriors, but a sliver of light continues to slip through the cracks as far as a future with a different organization is concerned.
The clock is ticking on a potential team-up between Curry and James in the NBA. James will turn 40 in December, while Curry will be 37 by the end of the 2024-25 regular season—both of which are ages by which most players retire.
These two ageless wonders continue to defy traditional expectations, however, by performing at superstar levels deep into their 30s.
This past season, both Curry and James were named to the All-NBA Third Team. The 39-year-old James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game, while the 36-year-old Curry tallied 26.4 points and 5.1 assists while leading the Association at 4.8 three-point field goals converted per contest.
If this legendary duo of surefire Hall of Famers ultimately finds a way to become teammates before they retire from the NBA, the question will be as simple as it is franchise-defining: On which team would they join forces?