Wat-Not Staff
Is there a basketball team more legendary than LeBron James and Steph Curry? As two of the best talents in the NBA, Curry, 36, and James, 39, have long been rivals. NBA fans were ecstatic to see them work together for the first time to win gold for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. For the star of the Golden State Warriors, who tells PEOPLE he was eager to set aside any past competition and partner up with James, it was equally exciting, if not more so.
Steph Curry talks about his friendship and partnership
“I think there’s a deepened respect and friendship there,” Curry says in reference to his new investment and partnership with Nirvana Super Waters & Seltzers. “All the battles we’ve had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever,” he adds.
The two basketball greats “still have to compete against each other until it’s all over” when they return to their respective NBA clubs for a new season in October. “Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we’re teammates or not,” he continues.
James updated his Instagram profile image to a photo of himself with Curry and Kevin Durant following Team USA’s victory (Curry claims he “pretty much hasn’t taken off” since Paris), which heightened fans’ enthusiasm for the players’ connection. “I shared the photo of us with our medals,” adds Curry, going on, “I know he’s been an Olympian before, but it’s been a minute since he competed in 2012,” alluding to James’ final Olympic performance prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Curry and James will be playing in their 16th and 22nd NBA seasons, respectively, which is no small accomplishment for any sportsman. However, Curry notes that James’ continued success is “not surprising” given his dedication and hard work. The guard for the Warriors claims that he saw James’ work ethic “up close and personal” while in Paris. He tells PEOPLE that James, 35-year-old Durant, and himself have all achieved athletic longevity “not by accident.”
Steph Curry further talks about his career and personal life
“Everything that most people are unable to witness is included. It’s the time spent in the weight room, on the recovery table, day in and day out,” says Curry. He adds that a key component of his recovery regimen has been drinking plenty of water with Nirvana Super Waters, which contain HMB, a natural ingredient that the company claims promotes the growth and maintenance of lean muscle mass.
“That tiny expenditure made to get your body and mind ready to perform. It’s not really glamorous in any way. It’s really labor-intensive. Dealing with all the tribulations and bruises of being an athlete, injuries, and other such things might be tiresome at times. I think we motivated each other even more to however much longer we have left playing,” Curry adds of his Olympic experience with James.
Even though he had a busy off-season due to the Olympics and the birth of his fourth child, Caius Chai Curry, on May 11, 2024, with his wife Ayesha, the NBA player tells PEOPLE that he is still excited to play for the Warriors. Curry attributes his enduring happiness for each season to “the fact that basketball is going to end at some point.” “You can’t play this game for life, but the fact that being with the Warriors for this long and championship window that we’ve had, you want to keep that open for as long as possible.” he said.
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