The run to the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics highlighted the generational runs by the two superstars of LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
While James had won gold three other times at the world’s highest athletic stage, it was Curry’s first time on the US men’s national basketball team, and the first Olympic medal of his career.
However, after that run to beat France on their home turf, that could have been the last time fans see the two four-time champions on the international stage. Speaking on James’ “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, the two players all but confirmed they won’t be playing for the team in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“You already know my answer,” James said on a potential return to the Olympics in three years. “I will be watching it.”
“God willing, I still have the choice and physical option where I could impact the team,” Curry added. “Never say never, but I highly doubt it. Highly doubt it.”
Though they went on to win the competition in Paris, it was by no means an easy feat for the Americans. They had two very close games against Nikola Jokic’s Serbia and Victor Wembanyama’s France, but thanks to James, Curry, Kevin Durant, and others, they took gold. Curry’s fourth-quarter performance against France has been credited as one of the best moments of his career.
LeBron James And Steph Curry Likely Done With Olympics
It’s hard to beat the enormous feats and fame set by the 1992 Dream Team, but the 2024 USA team made a strong case as the best American roster to play in the Olympics in recent years.
Along with James winning his fourth gold, Durant becoming the country’s all-time leading scorer, and Curry’s heroics, the roster featured a multitude of top NBA stars, including Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and Jayson Tatum.
Regardless of the star power, the team was led by the trio of James, Curry, and Durant. While the latter has yet to comment about his Olympic future, both the former two have all but confirmed the 2024 Games were their last.
“We can’t top what we just did,” James added. “How we gonna top those last two games?… We literally played France, in Paris, for the Final.”
In their six-game undefeated run at the 2024 Games, James averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while shooting 66% from the field, all of which, besides the scoring, were team-highs. Curry led the squad in scoring with 14.8 points per game along with 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting nearly 48% from deep.
Curry also scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter of the gold medal game against France, hitting multiple three-pointers in the final minutes to close out what nearly appeared to be a ‘David win over Goliath’ as the French made a late-game surge.
But according to their most recent comments, that run in 2024 apparently signals the last time fans see the two stars of this generation on the international stage.
The Stars Entering The Twilight Of Their Careers
As mentioned in their discussion with Nash on a potential Olympics return, both James and Curry hinted at their age being a main factor in ending their international careers.
At age 40, James is nearing a debut in his record-breaking 23rd season. He is the oldest player in the league, has scored the most points, and is now set to play in more seasons than anyone else in NBA history.
However, he is a free agent at the end of this season, and while the Lakers front office wants him to retire in Los Angeles, James picked up his player option for this year to enter the open market in June. Despite mass speculation, the 21-time All-Star has the chance to resign with his current team, sign a deal with another team, or close out his monstrous career. Whenever that decision does come, it will be hard to miss, but for now, the superstar is leaving everyone on the edge of their seats.
For Curry, his future involves a lot less speculation. The league’s best three-point shooter ever has remained committed to the Warriors, and though at 37 he is also nearing the end of his career, all signs point to him finishing out his NBA journey in the Bay Area. For the time being, he is still putting up prime-Curry scoring numbers, and while issues appear noticeable inside the locker room, he remains one of the most impactful players in the league.
Both James and Curry look to be in the final stages of their careers, but as it relates to the NBA, it is hard to predict when either will finally hang up their jerseys. But for now, a return at home in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics looks out of the question, setting up a new era of Team USA Basketball.
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