LeBron James, Stephen Curry Celebrate Together After Instant-Classic Win Over Serbia

LeBron James and Stephen Curry after the United States’s 95-91 win over Serbia in the Olympic men’s basketball semifinals on Aug. 8, 2024. / Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

There is no Stephen Curry without LeBron James, and the mythology of LeBron James would be significantly diminished without Stephen Curry.

For four glorious years in the 2010s—each of which ended with Curry’s Golden State Warriors and James’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals—the two men pushed each other to the limit in a rivalry that defined American pop culture for the decade.

Now, in the twilight of their careers, the two men are once again pushing each other—this time as teammates determined to deliver the United States one final gold medal before handing power over to Generation Z.

On Thursday, after the Americans topped Serbia 95-91 in an Olympic men’s basketball semifinal for the ages, Curry and James embraced after the final horn in what appears poised to become an iconic image of both players’ careers.

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2024Curry exploded for 36 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists in the win, while James registered a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

The United States will meet France Saturday with a gold medal on the line.

Published 14 Hours Ago|Modified Aug 8, 2024

PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .