They meet yet again, a holiday treat, a feast for basketball eyes, Stephen Curry and LeBron James each stepping onto the court to hang an L on the other.
We should enjoy this Christmas Day matchup between Curry’s Warriors and James’ Lakers mostly because of the two marquee players. Savor every second as we watch them go after each other, because their superstar moments are getting harder to deliver.
Curry and James are two of the three OG kings of the NBA – Kevin Durant is the other – and all three acknowledge that the body takes longer to recover and that the sun is slowly setting on their careers. They’re not done, but they can feel the end creeping closer.
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Durant turned 36 in September, Curry turns 37 in March and James turns 40 next week. The proof of their senior status is not in their ages, or even their regular-season mortality, but in their diminishing playoff impact.
Over the 11 seasons from 2011-12 through 2021-22, the three kings painted themselves all over the postseason, appearing in a combined 555 playoff games, 23 conference finals, 20 NBA Finals and participating in 10 championship celebrations.
None of the three got anywhere near The Finals last spring, as none even won a playoff series. Curry and the Warriors were routed in the Play-In Tournament opener, Durant and the Suns were swept in the first round and James and the Lakers managed but one victory in their first-round series.
Yes, they combined to win one playoff game in the year 2024.
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A cursory look at the Western Conference indicates it will be difficult for all three to barge into the 2025 playoffs. The standings fluctuate nightly, sometimes wildly, because the conference is a jungle of quality teams wrestling for one of the six automatic playoff spots or, at worst, one of the four Play-In Tournament berths.
When Curry and James step onto the Chase Center floor for tipoff shortly after 5 o’clock, the Warriors will be in eighth place, one spot below the seventh-place Lakers. The Thunder are in first place and likely will stay at or near the top. The second-place Rockets are making a surprise early-season run but have the goods to remain in the race. The third-place Grizzlies and fourth-place Mavericks look playoff-worthy. The Nuggets are shuffling in fifth place but seeking to improve their roster. The Clippers are sixth, but Kawhi Leonard is lurking in the training room nearing a return that could greatly fortify their chances of a postseason appearance.
Curry and James, even as their respective front offices prowl the market for a trade, need some 80-proof throwback juice to make a run. They want it, their fans yearn for it and the NBA marketing and promotions folks are praying for at least one more postseason Steph vs. LeBron showdown.
The time slot for the game on Wednesday, starting in prime time on the East Coast and ending in prime time on the West Coast, is as intentional as the dollar signs in the eyes of all 30 CEOs in the league. Curry’s jersey has been the NBA’s top seller for two years running. Care to guess who lands at No. 2? Each man is his own economy.
Curry and James are fighting to remain among the league’s elite. Their mutual respect was enriched last summer as Team USA leaders in the Paris Olympics. But that won’t dull their blades. Each wants to spoil the ending for the other. That’s why they tangle like tigers, often delivering unforgettable performances, when they face off.
Each man one more championship ring, fully aware that would give him five, with the other still holding four. It matters not because of the jewelry itself but its significance. When Bill Russell went to the Celtics in 1965 and demanded one more dollar in salary than Wilt Chamberlain, it wasn’t because four quarters meant two more cups of coffee.
It’s about pride, and that doesn’t fade no matter the age or the mileage. Magic and Larry still want to beat each other.
Curry and James realize the playoffs no longer are a given, that their legendary status matters not to the standings. The Warriors and Lakers are trying to escape the stigma of mediocrity, and their leaders consider another season without a playoff statement as profoundly unwelcome.
It also would turn NBA skies a rich shade of charcoal.
So, this Christmas Day battle is more than a game. It takes Curry and James one chapter closer to their denouement. They don’t know how many chapters remain, but they recognize each offers their last best chance for them to be Steph and LeBron.
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