For all the possibilities the Golden State Warriors explored this summer, none carried the spectacle of Stephen Curry and LeBron James sharing an NBA uniform.
Joe Lacob wanted to see it, too.
The Warriors’ controlling owner confirmed Golden State was involved in James’ free-agency market before the 41-year-old star signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“If he would have chosen to come to us, that would have been great,” Lacob said Wednesday on Tim Kawakami’s The TK Show. “I think it would have been very entertaining for the world at large, the world of basketball.”
Lacob could not say how close Golden State came to landing James. He also declined to discuss whether he personally participated in recruiting conversations, noting that James is now under contract with another team.
The Warriors were interested. James chose another route.
“I can’t really tell you why,” Lacob said, “because I don’t really know why.”
Warriors Envisioned Stephen Curry-LeBron James Pairing
GettyUSA’s LeBron James (L) celebrates with Stephen Curry at the end of the men’s semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024.
The basketball case began with what Curry and James showed during the Paris Olympics.
They formed a devastating closing combination for the United States, with Curry’s shooting bending defenses and James’ passing and physical control creating opportunities around him. Their partnership helped drive the Americans to a gold medal and offered a glimpse of what they could accomplish over an NBA season.
“Look at the Olympics,” Lacob said. “Him and Steph and all that stuff.”
Golden State had pursued James before. The Warriors explored a trade with the Lakers before the 2024 deadline, but James and his representatives showed no interest in leaving Los Angeles at that time.
The circumstances changed this summer when James entered free agency. Rich Paul publicly listed Golden State among the teams worth considering, and the Warriors again examined the possibility.
Lacob said the organization never built its offseason around the assumption that James would come.
“We certainly have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C,” he said. “We look at all the scenarios.”
Bob Myers Helped LeBron Choose Philadelphia
Getty Former General Manager Bob Myers of the Golden State Warriors celebrates with fans during the Victory Parade on June 20, 2022 in San Francisco, California. The Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 4-2 to win the 2022 NBA Finals. There was an unmistakable layer of irony in where James landed.
Bob Myers, who built Golden State’s four championship teams before leaving the organization in 2023, is now president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the 76ers’ parent company. Myers publicly argued that Philadelphia offered James his best chance to win another title.
“Congratulations to Bob Myers, I guess, who I think is great at his job,” Lacob said. “Maybe [he] convinced him to go there.”
Philadelphia’s roster gave that pitch substance. James joined a group featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and newly acquired Jaylen Brown.
Golden State, coming off a 37-45 season, retained much of its veteran core after missing on James and other ambitious targets. Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, who is targeting a midseason return, remain central to another attempt at returning to contention.
Lacob did not conceal what the Warriors missed. Curry and James together would have commanded basketball’s attention and given two aging icons one more shared championship pursuit.
“It would have been very interesting,” Lacob said. “But it didn’t happen.”
Myers once brought Kevin Durant to Curry. This time, working for another organization, he helped keep James away.
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