Working with Steph Curry in Paris was “everything”

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James ended up teaming up with Stephen Curry during the Paris Olympics, and the leading scorer in NBA history won more than a gold medal from the experience.

“It was everything and more,” James said Monday before Los Angeles headed to two preseason games against Curry’s Golden State Warriors this week.

“I was super excited to finally be able to work with him in a win-or-die atmosphere,” James added. “That was what it was like to be part of the Olympics. Being part of this team with Steph was everything I dreamed and hoped for. Great memories. Something I will definitely remember from my basketball career for the rest of my life.”

And when James was asked if he could imagine ever being Curry's teammate again, James didn't dismiss it.

“I have no idea,” he said.

James and Curry are arguably the best players of their era and have a long history of competing with each other. They met in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, and Curry's Warriors won three of four games against James' Cleveland Cavaliers.

They had never been teammates outside of NBA All-Star games until the Paris Olympics, when both veterans played key roles in the U.S. triumph. James scored a triple-double against Nikola Jokic in the U.S. victory over Serbia in the semifinals, while Curry's late three-pointers gave France the gold medal victory.

James, 39, said this summer that the Games in Paris would be his last, so any chance to play alongside Curry again would likely have to take place in the NBA. This seems highly unlikely; LeBron, along with his son Bronny, is committed to the Lakers for two more seasons, while Curry, 36, is contracted to Golden State for three more seasons.

James said last season that he hopes to finish his career with the Lakers, while Curry said he wants to spend his entire career with the team that drafted him in 2009. Even though they'll never wear the same uniform again outside of an All-Star Game, James reiterated his respect for Curry.

“I understand what Steph did for this game,” James said. “I understand what he has done for his organization, what he has done for the community and for people around the world, just because of his approach to the game and the way 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 how they work and how they handle their craft, it's a pretty cool thing. You can just respect that and not take it for granted.”

The Lakers face the Warriors on Tuesday night in Las Vegas (10 ET, NBA TV) and Friday night in San Francisco (10:30 ET, ESPN2).