Steph, LeBron remind sports world NBA reigns supreme on Christmas originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Nostalgia in the NBA isn’t reserved for stocking stuffers but the grand present every child, teenager and adult can’t wait to see ripped open, warming the hearts of all. The past opened its doors wide open on Christmas Day at Chase Center.
Nearly two hours before tipoff between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Kerr called coaching Steph Curry and LeBron James over the summer for Team USA at the Paris Olympics the “thrill of a lifetime,” and referred to the two as “the flag bearers of our league in this generation.”
Lakers coach JJ Reddick compared the two all-time greats to what Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were for the NBA in the 1980s, how Michael Jordan took the game to a new level in the 90s and Kobe Bryant was the heir apparent in the 2000s.
Kerr even found a new equivalency in the spectacle that is Curry’s warmups, catching the eyes of all long before the game begins.
“They’re watching Mozart compose music,” Kerr said during his pregame press conference. “He’s the greatest in the world ever at what he does and his craft.”
Those words rang as true as ever for both Curry and James for all four quarters, all 48 minutes. Curry scored a game-high 38 points, his most ever on Christmas while making a Christmas-record eight 3-pointers. James had 31, the most of any Laker, and dished 10 assists, tied for a game-high with his teammate Austin Reaves.
The scoreboard finished in favor of the Lakers, 115-113, despite Curry’s literal late-game heroics. Basketball’s a 5-on-5 game and a total of 19 players were used. A spotlight could have followed two all game and nobody would have complained.
“It’s always a blast,” Curry said. “The competitiveness, the history, his greatness allows me to just appreciate all that we’ve been through, all the battles back and forth and the fact that it’s 2024 and we’re still doing it.
“Somehow the games are pretty electric and kind of a must-see TV situation. I love it. I know we’ve talked about it leading up to it and we’ll probably talk about it until it’s actually real, you don’t know how many opportunities you’ll get to do it on this type of stage.
“You kind of relish in it and that’s why it sucked so much to lose. Just because these are kind of those moments that matter a little bit more.”
Every second, every shot mattered more than the previous 28 games. It was no surprise who took the first shot for their respective teams.
Dribbling along the right baseline, James couldn’t connect on a 15-foot jumper. Kerr made sure the ball was in Curry’s hands on the other side. Running through the paint with the assistance of an Andrew Wiggins screen, Curry’s night began with an easy layup. James then followed by hitting his version of Kareem’s skyhook, and the battle had officially begun.
There were points scored aplenty and a few highlights sprinkled in to begin the game. For the final two-plus minutes of the first half, fans had no other choice but to get off their feet and bring the in-arena decibels to higher and higher levels as Steph and LeBron traded buckets.
A Curry layup immediately was followed by one from James. Two free throws from James countered by a Curry 3-pointer, only for James to hit an 18-foot jumper and Curry to answer by splashing a step-back three. A game started to feel more like a script.
Steph surfing through the waters of the Lakers’ leaky defense to hit Trayce Jackson-Davis with a nifty pass made it a three-point game at halftime, setting everybody up for a possible Hollywood ending in the Bay.
In the third quarter, James scored seven points, giving him 26 entering the fourth. Curry only took two shots, scoring five points, putting him at 21 heading into the final quarter.
A cinematic showdown was in store. James scored five points in the fourth but also added five assists. Curry was the main attraction, a Golden Globe-winning lead actor whose performance would be sinful to miss a second of.
Curry through three quarters had taken 13 shots. He took 11 over 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, making seven to score 17 points without going to the free-throw line once.
Max Christie’s two free throws at the 3:26 mark put the Lakers up by 10 points. Curry in the final three minutes and 16 seconds then scored 13 points by himself, bringing the Warriors within one point with 12 seconds left and tying the game five seconds later. His heave from the right corner over James was one of the crazier shots Curry has made in his storied career, saying a lot for someone who has made the impossible possible countless times.
“Yeah, that was ridiculous,” Jackson-Davis said. “He didn’t even look like he had it in his hand when he shot it. That’s going to go up there for me for one of my favorites for sure. I wish we could have pulled that one out.
“But to see him perform at this level at his age is just ridiculous at this point.”
From 31 feet on the Warriors’ next possession, Curry pulled up and surprised nobody. Swish. Steph held his shooting pose, kicked his right leg into the air and slowly walked back to the Warriors’ bench – all for naught.
“He was sublime,” Kerr said. “I mean just those last two shots to bring us back to a tie. The one in the corner was just an insane shot. Steph was brilliant.”
On a day when the NFL tried to steal the NBA’s shine from under the rug, Steph and LeBron reminded the sporting world who reigns supreme.
Each is on first-name status for those inside and outside sports. One turns 40 next week and the other will be 37 in March. History has shown the NBA has searched for their next faces of the league as the leaders remain the greatest entertainment whenever they face off.
The search continues. Savor what’s left. What still makes the game great on any given day?
Ask the man who has played more minutes than anybody ever, pushing the boundaries of what longevity means.
“LeBron and Steph,” James said. “S–t.”
“That’s a good answer, that’s why we’re playing today,” Curry said in response.
Sometimes no more words are necessary. Watch while you still can.
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