'Up to him' - Curry on chance that LeBron lands with Warriors
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry would love to play with LeBron James, but he knows he's not the only one who feels the same as the NBA's all-time leading scorer ponders where he'll play next.
"It's kind of up to him," Curry said of James's decision on where to go as a free agent for his 24th NBA season.
He told the Los Angeles Lakers last week that he was departing after eight seasons and a title in Southern California.
"I feel like any place he calls and says 'I want to play there,' you move mountains to make it happen," Curry said Thursday at a press conference before the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.
Curry said his pitch to James -- his teammate on the United States' gold medal-winning team at the Paris Olympics -- was simple.
"The pitch is: Do you want to play good basketball and be around people that know how to play the game," said Curry, whose Warriors faced off against James's Cavaliers in four straight NBA Finals from 2015-2018.
"We're an organization that's been there. He knows that," Curry said. "That's really self-explanatory. It's a matter of where he sees himself fitting. At the end of the day, that's up to him."
The Warriors are among a multitude of teams mentioned as possible landing spots for James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time Most Valuable Player.
As the James sweepstakes moved into its second week many pundits had zeroed in on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the hometown team that James led to the 2016 title after winning two titles with the Miami Heat.
But a return to the Heat has also been suggested, along with a move to Philadelphia in the wake of the 76ers' acquisition of Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade.
The Cavaliers this week inked star guard Donovan Mitchell to a maximum four-year contract extension worth $273 million, and his continued presence could be a lure for James.
Former NBA MVP James Harden is expected to re-sign with the Cavs after becoming a free agent, but details of his deal could depend on what James decides.
James's agent Rich Paul said on a podcast on Monday that as many as 10 teams could be serious contenders for James's services.
L.Nguyen--SFF