Many an eyebrows were raised last week when a report surfaced that LeBron James was actively attempting to recruit Stephen Curry to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The alleged recruitment is said to have taken place during the All-Star Game back in early March and stems from the fact that Curry is hitting free agency at the end of next year.
The real reason Curry refused to sign with Golden State this past offseason has been covered ad nauseam, of course.
Chatter regarding James’ recruitment efforts got back to the Warriors’ front office.
This week, they responded.
In an interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, general manager Bob Myers offered his thoughts on how the organization felt about it.
“We’re never going to stop hearing it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if a guy signs an extension anymore, whether it’s one of our guys or any guy. The drumbeat never stops. … I think rumors like that or any rumor about a great player, they’ll always be there as long as the player’s great.”
That said, Meyers truly believes Curry isn’t going anywhere.
Now we know. https://t.co/giybknFbu8
— Game 7 (@game7__) March 29, 2021
“But all we can do is make our place of work somewhere people show up and feel like they can compete. I think Steph’s felt like we’ve given him a really good chance in his time and career to compete individually and team-wise. And that’s what we’re going to keep trying to do. …
“What I would say: I think Steph’s happy. I think he’s in a good place. I think things are going to be fine with him.”
The Warriors are in an interesting place. Between the openness with which they shopped Kelly Oubre Jr. and shady way they lied to LaMelo Ball, the franchise’s reputation isn’t amazing right now.
Will that impact their ability to hang on to Curry in the offseason? Will it create an opening for James? Time will tell.
Related: Lonzo Ball’s Blunt Reaction To Pelicans Trying To Trade Him
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
