The greatest players of this era are LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. James, the NBA’s all-time top scorer, has a compelling argument for being the best player ever.
That said, his former teammate Iman Shumpert made a bold declaration regarding James on the ‘Big Podcast’ alongside NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. On the podcast, Shumpert was questioned about ‘who ruined today’s game,’ with Curry and James being the main candidates.
In a recent segment, the former Cavs star chose James over Curry. Playing with him for four years in Cleveland, Shumpert echoed the opinions of numerous NBA experts. James started establishing himself as a GOAT with the Heat, despite having started his reign with the Cavaliers.
Shumpert also stressed a particular topic regarding James and the legendary Michael Jordan. He compared the two greats, regarding how Jordan chose loyalty over switching teams. As for James, Shumpert claimed that he was the one who opened a pathway for stars to combine on one team.
Shumpert’s words do make sense as James played for the Miami Heat alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosch. After the Heat, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside, Kyrie Irving, winning NBA titles at both, the Heat and the Cavs. Soon after, James joined the Lakers where he teamed up with Anthony Davis, winning the 2020 NBA title with them.
Iman Shumpert is against the idea of Stephen Curry and LeBron James ‘teaming up’
LeBron James and Stephen Curry joined forces for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. They created another chapter in their illustrious careers by leading Team USA to a gold medal.
Many people were questioning if they would ever be able to join an NBA team because of the chemistry between James and Curry in Paris. A lot would need to happen for these two players to wind up in the same club. However, Iman Shumpert is against the possibility of these two stars teaming up.
For both Curry and James, their careers are coming to an end. The latter is playing in his 22nd NBA season while the former is playing his 16th. From 2015 to 2018, the two superstars squared battle in the NBA Finals every year, with Curry and the Warriors taking home three of those championships.