LeBron James and Stephen Curry have been two of the biggest icons in the NBA over the last decade and a half. Both players have had multiple duels against each other during regular seasons and in the finals. While Curry earned more team-related accolades during the 2010s, James ascended onto a whole other stratosphere as an individual. Either way, both players are worthy of being called some of the greatest players of all time.
However, as the years quickly go by, neither James nor Curry is growing any younger. Despite both players being at peak form, an NBA executive believes that neither of them will be able to lead teams to another title. “I think things are cyclical. The reality is LeBron is older, so the guy that’s driven that for the prior 15 years isn’t in the position where he alone can will himself to championships anymore. Same with Steph,” said the executive.
Last season, Stephen Curry faced a few struggles with the Golden State Warriors. A few players weren’t consistent enough to maintain a good pace in his absence and in addition to it, there was a tiny bit of drama that disrupted the chemistry they had. LeBron James on the other hand witnessed a terrible regular season run. But the front office made a few valuable upgrades at the trade deadline that helped the Los Angeles Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals.
Are LeBron James and Stephen Curry planning to retire soon?
When it comes to Stephen Curry, the question of retirement has never been in the conversation. Curry is currently 35 years of age, which means that he has a few more years left before hanging up his jersey. However, Steph has not shown signs of decline. He averaged 29.4 points, along with 6.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game last season. Injuries have been a bit of a concern lately, but the 4x NBA Champion has never had too many issues coming back to form.
But for LeBron James, being 38 years of age has only brought more attention to his plans for retirement. As mentioned earlier, the Lakers made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals. They were challenged by the top-seeded Denver Nuggets that eventually swept them in four games. After a disappointing loss, James blatantly revealed that he was considering retirement.
After over a month of silence over this matter, LeBron returned to the 2023 ESPY Awards. He won the Record-Breaking Performance of the Year award for shattering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s longstanding all-time scoring feat. During his speech, James revealed that he plans on returning to the game and isn’t going anywhere for a while. Even his agent, Rich Paul revealed that the playoff upset was what discouraged James, but the superstar felt motivated a week later.