"H.I.M": LeBron James responds to Steph Curry's IG post of balling in July and his iconic lob highlight to Lakers star
LeBron James reportedly called Steph Curry and a handful of NBA superstars after the USA finished the 2023 FIBA World Cup without a medal. James has not played since the 2012 Olympics but was willing to commit to national team duties with help from the Golden State Warriors guard. Once both confirmed their participation, basketball fans impatiently waited for the Americans’ training camp to see them get together.
After four days of preparation, Team USA finally had its first action against Canada which is also loaded with NBA players. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray will lead the Canadians’ quest to bring home the gold in Paris next month.
The Americans won the exhibition game 86-72 and basketball fans got the highlight they wanted. In the third quarter, the two connected on a fastbreak play that ended with an emphatic dunk by LeBron James.
Steph Curry went on Instagram to share that moment with a message:
“Balling in July! Gotta love it….the lob to @kingjames a little better from this view. Let’s get it! Off to Abu Dhabi.”
“King James” responded to the post:
“H.I.M.”
The viral play happened in the third frame after the Canadians lost the ball, allowing James to scoop the ball. He whipped it to a streaking Steph Curry who timed his run so the 20-time All-Star could emphatically slam the ball.
Curry is making his Olympics debut and is hyped to be suiting up with players he usually goes up against.
LeBron James has fun playing with Steph Curry
The Olympics will be the first time LeBron James and Steph Curry will play together in a competitive setting. They’ve been teammates before in NBA All-Star games but those were non-bearing matches. Next month, they will try to lead Team USA to another Olympic gold medal.
The excitement and joy are palpable in their team-up. When asked about the viral play in the third quarter on Wednesday, James had this to say:
“We love to play the game of basketball. I missed him in the first half on a wide-open 3 that I threw out of bounds but he was able to connect with me on a lob. It’s fun!”
James and Curry are having fun but are also committed to accomplishing their goal. Curry added in the interview that their statuses in the NBA won’t matter as nobody on Team USA will be complaining about minutes. They are focused and determined to win the gold.
Up next for the Americans will be four exhibition games in Abu Dhabi. They will face Australia on July 15 before a mouthwatering encounter with the Nikola Jokic-led Serbian national team on July 17. Team USA will finish their tuneup schedule with matches against South Sudan and Germany on July 20 and 22, respectively.
Basketball fans will monitor these games to catch the fun and connection between LeBron James and Steph Curry.