Stephen Curry is all about positivity these days as he recently opened up about his rivalry with LeBron James, especially after their camaraderie during the 2024 Paris Olympics. While LeBron’s encouragement boosted Curry’s confidence during their gold-medal run, Curry made it clear that their NBA rivalry will not be affected by their Olympic bond.

Riding high on his recent gold medal-winning success, Curry sat down for an interview with Stephen Colbert, reflecting on the wins, and his moments with Bron, especially when he boosted Curry’s morale during crucial games in Paris. The two NBA stars, despite their rivalry, supported each other in the quest for gold. When discussing the efforts that took to get that medal finally, Colbert wanted to know what led him to “flip the switch.”

“Positive self-talk came out like ‘No, we are winning, I know it’s gonna come. I know a flurry is gonna come.’ As soon as I said it, LeBron walks right behind me (and) was like ‘DAMN RIGHT IT IS’ with his baritone voice. First, it caught me off guard, cause I still had to get used to be, you know, liking that guy cause of all of our battles,” Curry revealed on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Curry acknowledged the boost from LeBron’s support, “It was definitely a confidence boost. Obviously, at the end of the day, it came at the right time.” But made it clear that their NBA rivalry remains unchanged, outrightly stating, “Not at all.” 

For 15 years, Curry and LeBron have been fierce competitors, bringing immense popularity to their franchises. Despite the intensity of their matchups, they have maintained mutual respect throughout their rivalry.

Early in their careers, LeBron invited Curry to his home, revealed in a ‘Heat Check’ podcast fostering a mentor-mentee relationship that has endured for years. However, as Curry quickly rose to NBA stardom, their relationship shifted into a competitive rivalry.

The fact that the Golden State Warriors competed against LeBron’s Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years created a rift out of competitiveness. While they could never be proper friends, mutual respect still existed between the duo.

In a 2024 interview with The Athletic, Curry described their rivalry as “It was like a healthy resentment of somebody that’s standing in your way”.  Bron, too held the same spirit. “The game of basketball don’t last forever. You don’t want to waste the opportunity to be able to have a relationship with someone.”

Things certainly took a turn when the two rivals joined the same Team USA roster to help bring the Gold Medal home. Their new bond bore fruit, as success was achieved with both LeBron James and Stephen Curry delivering the most points per game during the 2024 Olympics. Unfortunately, it’s time to get back to reality, which is that the two will once again be on opposite teams when the NBA season starts in October. Unless, in the limited time that both players have in the NBA, another effort can be made to unite them. After all, analysts have already started to devise ways to do so.

“Cap-Wise, It Could” – Nick Wright proposes a three-team trade to align Stephen Curry and LeBron James

In August, as fans would have been simply dreaming about a LeBron James-Stephen Curry NBA team-up, ‘First Things First’ reporter Nick Wright was attempting to make it a reality. In one of the segments, he went on to state “I understand it’s not going to happen, but just so everyone knows, cap-wise, it could.”

Wright highlighted a table that highlighted a scenario in which LeBron and Curry would head to the San Antonio Spurs and team up with Victor Wembanyama. In return, the Los Angeles Lakers would get Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, and two draft picks from 2027 and 2031. The Warriors would get Devin Vassel along with two additional players. Attempts to bring the NBA All-Time Leading Scorer and the All-Time Leader in Three Pointers on one roster also failed.

In February 2024, ESPN journalists Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne revealed that the Warriors made a last-minute push to acquire LeBron James. Teams’ owners, general managers, and players equally participated. The Warriors even had Draymond Green reportedly appeal about the benefits of the trade. However, according to reports, LeBron James’s agent Rich Paul blocked the trade so that the player would avoid the subsequent ‘backlash.’ Now, with the Warriors and the Lakers facing issues with the luxury tax and the apron, no franchise could acquire the player from another, leaving the Spurs as a proper option.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.