LeBron James and Stephen Curry to Team Up for the 2024 Paris Olympics
The basketball world is buzzing with excitement as LeBron James and Stephen Curry prepare to team up for the first time in international play at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This groundbreaking partnership began with a simple phone call in the fall, where Curry reached out to LeBron to discuss the possibility of joining forces to form one of the most talented rosters in basketball history.
The Initial Conversation
“He was the first person I talked to,” Curry said of his conversation with James. “‘Would this be something I would want to do?’ And from there, it was like, ‘Let’s get it.'”
Despite their legendary NBA careers, Curry, James, and Kevin Durant have never played together for Team USA. Curry and Durant have previously teamed up during gold-medal runs in the 2010 and 2014 World Championships, while James and Durant secured gold at the 2012 London Olympics. This summer, the trio of superstars, now in their 30s, will finally join forces in international play.
The Star Trio
Durant, dismissing any notion of this being a “last hurrah,” emphasized their ongoing elite performance. “Nah,” Durant said with a smile. “These guys are still playing at an elite level. I feel like Bron could play 4 or 5 more years and be here in 2028 in [the Los Angeles Olympics]. Steph’s still playing great ball. I’m doing all right, too. I don’t want this to be a farewell tour or make it just about us three. It’s about trying to win this fifth in a row.”
Team USA heads into the Olympics as a heavy favorite to win a fifth consecutive gold medal, bolstered by the presence of these NBA legends. Durant stands to become the first man to claim four Olympic basketball gold medals, having been part of the past three winning teams. James, approaching his 40th birthday, can add a third gold medal to his impressive international résumé. Meanwhile, Curry, after 15 NBA seasons, is preparing for his Olympic debut.
Excitement and Jitters
“Yeah, it’s really cool,” Curry said. “I’ve played with Team USA before on the world championship stage, but I don’t know what to expect when it comes to this challenge and this experience. And so I had the first-practice jitters. I’m sure I’ll have it for the game [Wednesday] just because I know it means so much. … Add the surrealness of who is on this team and all the battles that we’ve had over the course of our careers and the fact that we get to put that energy together as teammates. So I’m enjoying every minute of this.”
The excitement around Team USA’s training camp is palpable, with many comparing this group to the fabled 1992 Dream Team. “Do you see this team?” center Bam Adebayo said. “When you put [together] a team like this, and you get compared to, like, the Dream Team, it kind of puts it in perspective how great this team can be if we play the right way.”
Team Dynamics and Expectations
Anthony Edwards, a first-time Team USA player, echoed Adebayo’s sentiment: “We got LeBron, KD and Steph. So I don’t feel like nobody can beat those three by themselves on the court. So I mean, you mix in two of us regular guys, we’ll be all right.”
Seeing Curry and James finally share the court for Team USA is striking, given their historic playoff battles, including four straight NBA Finals showdowns from 2015 to 2018 and a 2023 Western Conference semifinals matchup. “It was like a healthy resentment of somebody that’s standing 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 person and player and how good he is and the challenge of trying to beat him and trying to solve that problem every year.”
James added, “I know how much he loves to win and how much he loves to be in competition. We’ve always had like these short moments like either All-Star Games or whatever the case may be, where we had these short pockets of time together and it’s been super organic and easy.”
A Special Moment
For the next six weeks, Curry, James, and Durant will play side by side, possibly for the first and only time on the international stage. “I can’t speak for those two guys, but for me, it’s going to be ecstatic excitement, a humbling wow factor,” James said. “The last 15, 17, 18 years, myself, Steph, KD, have been the talk of the NBA. … We don’t know how many more opportunities we’re going to have to even play the game. So to be able to have this moment at this point in our careers is just super special.”
As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, the basketball community eagerly anticipates watching this historic collaboration unfold. With LeBron, Curry, and Durant leading the charge, Team USA is poised to deliver a performance that could rival the legendary Dream Team. Stay tuned to Yardline Sports for more updates and coverage as these NBA icons embark on their Olympic journey.