Steph Curry and LeBron James won a gold medal together this summer in the 2024 Paris Olympics, leaving many wondering what an NBA union between the pair would look like.

But despite those trade rumors, don’t count on Curry and James teaming up again any time soon.

“Probably not,” Curry told ESPN’s Malika Andrews when asked if he thought he’d ever team up with James. “But I think the what ifs and all that type of stuff, you kind of just leave that for whatever platform people want to talk about it.

“We just hoop.”

James most recently was linked to the Warriors before last season’s NBA trade deadline, when Golden State reportedly sought a blockbuster deal to acquire the four-time NBA MVP from the Los Angeles Lakers. But the trade never happened partly because James’ agent, Rich Paul, was “adamantly opposed” to the idea of James swapping Southern California for Northern California, NBA contributor Marc Stein reported in August, citing league sources.

And now, as the Warriors struggle offensively while simultaneously sinking in the Western Conference standings, NBA pundits have called for Golden State to pick up the phone and give Los Angeles a call about James.

It certainly would be one of the wildest trades in NBA history if Curry and James did join forces, going from bitter rivals as frequent NBA Finals opponents over the years to unlikely teammates. But even though they don’t play together, Curry explained how his rivalry with James has turned into a friendship as the two legends get older.

“It’s a fun battle, because the longevity of how long we’ve been doing this, there’s more appreciation and respect than probably back in the day, [where] there’s a lot of pettiness and resentment,” Curry told Andrews. “The rivalry was real, but it evolves. And you still want to go at each other, but the respect is there.”

Curry and James will “go at each other” when the Warriors and Lakers face off on Christmas Day. And while Curry said he “probably” won’t ever play with James, a lot can happen between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

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