The Golden State Warriors missed the NBA playoffs for just the third time in the last decade. But that is far from the only unusual activity happening around the NBA lately.
For the first time since the 2005-2006 NBA season, the postseason will not feature LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Steph Curry. If there was ever a sign of a changing of the guard — it’s happening right now in front of our very eyes.
But before all the young talent officially takes over, James, Durant, and Curry will all be playing on the same team for the first time ever in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Inevitably, as the summer moves along and as we get closer to watching these three share the court in the Olympics, speculation will ramp up regarding them possibly joining forces on the Golden State Warriors for ‘one last hurrah’ in the 2024-2025 season.
Golden State Warriors: Another Big-3?
It’s been 2,154 days since LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry all shared an NBA court in a meaningful game.
Back then, it was Durant and Curry as teammates hoisting a second consecutive NBA title as teammates on the Golden State Warriors at the expense of James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals. When the Warriors pulled off the sweep, few people would’ve predicted that the duo of Durant and Curry wouldn’t win any more titles, while many were already predicting that James was going to leave in a matter of weeks once free agency was due.
But that was six years ago; these three were running the NBA, all as the biggest names in the sport at the peaks of their game.
With each of them now being at completely different stages in their career, it has compelled fans to discuss the likelihood that these three pull the strings to play on the same team before calling it quits.
At this point, it’s been widely acknowledged that LeBron James faces a player option this June, giving him the choice to opt out and become a free agent or sign once again on the dotted line to stay put in L.A.
On the other hand, Kevin Durant recently made his frustrations public regarding the rocky season he had in Phoenix, opening the door for yet another change.
What is Steph Curry Expecting from the Golden State Warriors?
After a brutal season for the Dubs, one thing remains certain: Steph Curry and his continued elite play.
Even as he enters his age 37 season in the NBA, Curry has shown no signs of slowing down, which means the Golden State Warriors see no reason to scale back their aggressiveness in pursuing more star or superstar-level talent.
After the disappointing loss to the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament, Curry said, “When you lose, you have to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What can we do to get better? What holes can we fill?’ And thankfully we have some time to figure that out. So a lot of conversations upstairs, with Coach Kerr to try to figure out how to get back to the level we expect. I didn’t answer anything specific about what we need, but we’re going to figure that out over this summer.”
If there’s someone with a powerful voice in the NBA, Steph Curry is one of the few. Not only is he the face of the Warriors, but he’s also one of the faces of the NBA. These remarks were clearly pointed towards the Golden State Warriors front office to make moves this summer.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant: Another Move on The Way?
LeBron James speaks on reports about his future 👀👑 pic.twitter.com/lSbRnWqQ5G
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 1, 2024
In the NBA today, there are two pioneers when it comes to player empowerment. James paved in giving players complete control of their destiny while Durant evolved the blueprint. While both James and Durant are no strangers when it comes to a change of scenery, neither of them possesses the power and value they did years ago.
In James’ case, leaving the Lakers is very possible because he can enter free agency. With how glowingly James has spoken of Curry — even stating publicly that he’d love to play with him — you’d think now would be both the best and last opportunity for this almost dream-like scenario to happen.
For Durant, he’s been in Golden State in the past, where he enjoyed the most success in his Hall of Fame career. But since he departed from the Bay five years ago, he hasn’t come close to finding similar success. Perhaps that familiarity is still in Durant’s heart.
About The Author
Adel, 23, is a lead writer for the NBA on Total Apex Sports. He is a passionate NBA fan with a deep background in writing across the media, sports debate, and screenwriting for YouTube and TikTok.
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