USA’s talisman Steph Curry has opened up on partnering with LeBron James after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The Golden State Warriors star is hopeful of sharing more experiences like these in the future.
Curry and James have mostly played against each other for the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers respectively in the NBA but they were on the same side of the court for Team USA at the Games.
Meanwhile, the USA clinched their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal after beating France by 98-87 in the final.
James averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists on 66% shooting in the Olympics and thus played an instrumental role in taking his team to glory. The veteran was named Olympic MVP after scoring 14 points with six rebounds and 10 assists in the summit clash.
On the other hand, Steph Curry, who scored 36 points against Serbia in the semifinal, added 24 points in the final, including eight three-pointers. The Golden State Warriors star averaged 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.7 steals per game at the Games.
“All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star Game or whatever, but in high-stakes basketball with a lot on the line,” Curry said in an exclusive with the People. “I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there.”
“Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not,” Curry said. “Still have to compete against each other until it’s all over.”
Curry feels the Olympic glory has motivated him and James to prolong their respective careers.
“It’s everything that most people don’t get to see. It’s the time on the recovery table, it’s the time in the weight room, it’s day in, day out,” Curry said. “That little bit of investment in preparing your body and your mind to perform. There’s nothing really glamorous about it. It’s extremely hard work.”
“I think we motivated each other even more to however much longer we have left playing,” Curry said.
Curry and James will be up against each other in the forthcoming season of the NBA.
