Steph Curry confirms the Golden State Warriors tried to recruit LeBron James.
The Golden State Warriors came into the offseason with high hopes as they looked to get the right pieces around Steph Curry to make another championship run.
The team re-signed head coach Steve Kerr to a two-year deal and Draymond Green initially opted out of his player option to provide more financial flexibility.
They were heavily linked to LeBron James from the moment the Los Angeles Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, with many speculating that he could team up with Curry to chase one more title.
Curry and Draymond were public in their recruiting efforts for LeBron, with Curry attending golf outings with “The King” and Draymond revealing some details of his pitch on his podcast.
Despite their efforts and LeBron’s known interest in the Warriors through his agent, Rich Paul, LeBron signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Steph Curry Speaks On Recruiting LeBron
Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area, Curry confirmed that he was actively trying to recruit LeBron during their golf trips.
"If anybody didn't try, I think they'd be a fool,” he said.
Despite their battles in four straight NBA Finals, LeBron has long spoken of his admiration for Curry and Kerr. At the 2024 Olympics, fans got a taste of what it would be like to see LeBron and Curry play together when they led Team USA to a gold medal.
The Warriors were one of the eight teams on Rich Paul’s now-famous whiteboard at the start of free agency, and if Paul is to be believed, LeBron was down to the Warriors and 76ers as his top two choices.
If Kerr is to be believed, he didn’t think the Warriors were all that close.
Moving Forward Without LeBron
The addition of LeBron would have brought renewed excitement and energy to the Bay, but now they move forward without making major changes this offseason. LeBron alone would not have made them championship contenders, but LeBron and Anthony Davis, who they reportedly needed to acquire to strengthen their chances at landing LeBron, would’ve put them closer than they are today.
Their biggest addition was perhaps 11th overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan.
The Warriors are banking on internal development, health, and team chemistry to get them back into the playoffs. They’ll need all of that, and for Curry to keep playing at an All-Star level if they have any hopes of being in the postseason.
