Stephen Curry and LeBron James are great rivals of the modern-day NBA. They remind the old NBA fans of the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. How great rivals they were on the court but always had great respect for each other. Although Curry is only three years younger than James, the all-time leading scorer who debuted in the NBA many years before Curry did. Hence, King James has played many more seasons than King Curry so far—as many as twenty this year.
Currently, LeBron James is preparing for the 2023-24 season. It will be his 21st season in the NBA. After beating James thrice in the NBA Finals, Stephen Curry led the Warriors to yet another championship victory in the 2021-22 season. Now Curry and his Warriors have four championships under their belt, like the Lakers ace. Unlike the three-pointer King, LeBron James won his four titles with three different franchises. But will Steph Curry play as many seasons as his rival?
Steph May Not Play After He Gets To 40
James is still going strong at the age of 38, and he desperately wants to win his fifth title before he retires. On the other hand, Stephen Curry, 35, still has three more years remaining in his current contract with the Warriors. In a recent interview with Gilbert Arenas, Stephen Curry mentioned he hopes he plays as long as LeBron James has. On the podcast Gil’s Arena, Curry also mentioned that he never imagined playing at the age of 40 years. But he can’t claim how his body will feel when he gets to that stage.
Clearly, the three-pointer King takes a lot of pride in playing for the same franchise his entire career. Stephen Curry does not take the opportunity to lead a franchise to so many titles for granted. And he feels it is essential to establish a culture within the franchise like Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson did in their eras. Moreover, Steph has helped the San Francisco team to become a superpower in the modern generation of the league. The fans will always remember him for that and his three-point shooting. He literally revolutionized the shot in the sport.
Stephen Curry And LeBron James: The NBA Greats
Throughout his long and illustrious career, LeBron James has achieved many successes. Last season, he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. If King James gets to play three more years, he can have a great lead over the Lakers ‘Captain Kareem.’ However, last season, James mentioned he does not play for just individual glories. Instead, he believes winning is the motivation. Moreover, LeBron James has won four championships over the two decades.
On the other hand, Stephen Curry may not have played so many seasons yet, but he has won as many titles as King James has. In fact, the two modern-day greats met in the NBA Finals back to back from 2015 to 2018. Stephen Curry won three times, and LeBron James won only once with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. But Curry helped the Golden State Warriors become the modern-day dynasty.