The Golden State Warriors attempted to make some big splashes over the summer by adding another superstar or two alongside Steph Curry for his latest run at an NBA championship. LeBron James was the biggest name they pursued.
At one point, Golden State seemed to be in a prime position to land the four-time NBA champion. However, James ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers for his final run at another NBA championship, he announced Friday," ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote. "James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania."
Few people were more interested in the possibility of James joining the Warriors than Curry, who liked the idea of teaming up with the superstar. Back in June, Curry met with James to discuss the possibility of bringing him to the Bay Area.
“Pairing him with Stephen Curry is going to be something that the Warriors are going to pursue over the next few weeks… It seemed very doubtful, it seemed low percentage, now it's kind of questionable. Now there's going to be some legs to this… That same source told us that Steph is planning on meeting and talking with LeBron about potentially joining the Warriors over the course of the next few weeks leading up to free agency," NBA insider Brett Siegel said.
Recently, NBA insider Marc Spears interviewed Curry, who opened up about believing the Warriors had a chance to land James and understanding the veteran's decision to find the right fit.
“We took some shots at it... until you hear the final decision, you gotta think you have a shot. I guess a guy like that when you have that ability to go anywhere you want in the league, you find a place that's right for you,” Curry said.
There is no doubt that Curry wanted to team up with James, but he understands that, at the end of the day, it is a business. James had to find the right situation for himself at this stage of his career, and he ultimately chose Philadelphia over Golden State.
Curry appeared to remain optimistic about the possibility of James joining him in the Bay Area, but nothing came to fruition. Instead, James joined a younger team with a different collection of star talent than the Warriors could offer.
