This event on Friday, February 14th was a part of the All-Star Wohnen Wohlstellung work organized by Ayesha and Stephen Curry's Eat.Learn.Play.

Curry and other celebrities later opened the brand new Bill Russell Gymnasium, named after the Boston Celtics legend and probably the most famous graduate of the McClymonds High School.

The NFL, the Marshawn Lynch, Rapper Mistah Fab, Cal Alum Jaylen Brown and the previous NBA Point Guard Jennings were among the many participants. The Los Angeles Sparks Guard Kelsey Plum and Youtubers Mrbeast and Jesser were also present.

The Oakland Arena organized the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, while Chase Center organized the sport of the Rising Stars alongside various entertainment events in San Francisco.

Originally published: February 15, 2025 at 11:44 a.m. PST

Milwaukee – There were only two games with Jimmy Butler, however the Warriors already appear like one other team: one which can achieve a comeback and withdraw.

Also one that would have problems slowing down the dynamic evaluation guards.

The Warriors had no response to Damian Lillard, who achieved 38 at 12 against 20 shootings, but nevertheless the Giannis Antetocounmpo-free goat with control of the fourth quarter when winning 125-111. It was the second success of the Butler Steph Curry pairing.

“Every possession just doesn't seem to be that difficult,” said Curry after the sport. “You still see attention, you continue to see defense, but you will have to fret about something else. We only put people in the proper places. Obviously I would like to be aggressive. I believe earlier a 12 months didn’t necessarily lead as consistent because the last two games. “

Curry (38 points, six rebounds, four assists) countered Lillard with his fourth 30-point game in a row. Quinten Post hit big shots late, while both Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody-in Rolls Roll-Pasting Bow-Wegen contributions.

The Warriors started small, with Draymond Green in the middle, but still dominated the back bumper fight of 47 to 36. By producing 17 more shots on boards and forcing 20 sales, the poor shootout of the Warriors played no role.

Butler's presence enables Curry to return to his traditional substitution pattern and play the first 10 minutes of the first and third quarter and the last six over half and game. Butler's ability to generate crimes with Curry in front of the Court of Justice gives the warrior more trust in sitting him for longer distances.

Curry took the opportunity to hit a rhythm early and to sank a trio of 3s in the first quarter. If he is aggressive early, the defense seems to overreact even more and open the chances for his teammates.

Curry almost fell by 11 points in the first quarter, which Damian Lillard, Damian Lillard, almost came with him. Lillard went for 43 points and eight templates the night before and cooked and cooked when his team needs him to shoulder the load without Giannis Antetocounmpo (veal).

Lillard scored in 1-1 situations against Curry, Butler and everyone else who tried to check him. It was the first time that the Warriors played against a deadly on-ball creator without Andrew Wiggins, who was her best fighting against attack before driving to Miami in Butler trade.

The offensive of the Golden State, however, made up for a constant diet with color outlook and bad shots. Butler broke the Milwaukee zone by playing on the free -wire line, turning and making smart decisions. In order to defeat the half -time scale, he caught the ball in the short role and found Draymond Green underneath for a layup.

Milwaukee took his first tour since the opening framework on an AJ Green Corner 3 when the Warriors' crime clogged to start the third.

Curry felt the need for his goal and fell into one and 1 to reach 27 points. Butler wore the team when he was sitting, quinten post for a jam, Pat Connaughton faced with a bucket, injured his way to the line and sank a baby base jumper.

Eighteen seconds after the fourth Green took up his fourth foul. His replacement, post, drilled two times three times in order to drive the warriors at eight. The Warriors climbed for the second game in a row when Curry started fourth quarter.

During this time, Butler became the first warrior since Kevin Durant in 2018, who made at least 13 fouls in successive games.

Count this as a different way, how the warriors are suddenly different.

Butler scored 45 points and came into the line in two games as a warrior – even while he was admittedly not got out of the games and the Warriors' games have not yet known.

“I can't wait until I’m back within the basketball form, how I’m used to being,” said Butler. “Don't miss so much free throws, I have no elevator on my jump shot. At the moment I'm just gassed. “

Post later added a 3rd 3 and Curry gave Brandin Podziemski a terrific hug after the young guard took over an indictment and conquered a foul on a movable screen as he put Lillard under pressure on the back dish.

Butler gives the Warriors the assumption that they’ll now win at a better level. The two games with him – albeit against weak or exhausted opponents – have confirmed this belief.

Originally published: February 10, 2025 at 7:38 p.m. PST

Not long after Bay Area News Outlets reported that Ayesha Curry concludes her sweet July shop in Oakland: “In order to prioritize the security of customers and workers”, the story in publications that the town is so overrun, nationally of publications which might be shown by the town. Crime and chaos that triggered one among its hottest celebrity entrepreneurs.

Perhaps Curry, a protracted -time advocate of the town, has unintentionally contributed to the negative narrative, because the Daily Mail describes “Lawless Oakland”. This doesn’t sit well with some residents and business owners who say that the town made positive changes last 12 months With a registered 33% waste in violent and ownership crimes in 2024 from the previous 12 months.

You also wonder if Curry's Uptown Home Goods Store and Cafe needed to struggle for other reasons as crime and “security”, including what they are saying, was an absence of customer support price on the twenty third Street location between Broadway and Telegraph Avenue.

“Just because (the sweet store in July) does not mean that it has something to do with crimes,” said Ken Houston, managing director of the non -profit beautification council, the areas around warehouse. “It could be financially. It could not work (only). Just because she is a curry does not mean that her business was financially viable. “

“Things change, but people like the negative one because they have to have an ugly duckling and try to make Oakland an ugly duckling.”

The entrepreneurial woman of the Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry opened the flagship and the Café in Oakland in 2021 for its sweet July retail brand. At that point she said that the inpatient space was her “love letter” to the “love letter” to the “” love letter “to the” city that hugged and supported and supported it. “The cookbook creator, restaurateur, TV chef and lifestyle influencer also explained that the name of the brand dates from the month of their wedding to Steph Curry and the month during which three of their 4 children were born. In an interview, Curry said that she selected a store front in a two-block corridor between Broadway and Telegraph because other firms were black women within the region. She aimed that her business is a life-style “hub” and “community” and offered products and concepts “for the house and the self”, on quite a lot of topics, including “food, beauty, wellness, faith, style, Female authorization and entrepreneurship. “

But 4 years later, the Oakland Storefront Dream from Sweet July ended when the corporate announced on Instagram that “the difficult decision had made the location” From February ninthBecause of “security concerns”. The post says: “We loved being a part of Oakland and are grateful for the community that opened her arms and hugged us. It was an honor to serve them. “

Representatives of Ayesha Curry and Sweet July did not respond to a request for information on certain incidents that carried out security concerns. The Oakland police reported an incident, a slump in October 1, 2022, in which a thief smashed a glass window and took several objects out of the store. The statistics of the Oakland police at the end of 2024 or 51%.

In the meantime, it seems that Curry apparently apparently be one to open her second sweet July café. She opened a café in the luxury regent hotel in Santa Monica. Essence registered.

The Store Closeure has stimulated a number of reactions, online and in response to queries of this news organization. Some complained of this crime or what they perceive as a lack of support in the city would have played a role in closing the business. “Your beautiful room was an urgently needed light light in the town of Oakland,” said one person.

Clothing designer Taylor Jay expressed sympathy for the situation of the business, as she said Two break-ins Forced her to close the inpatient location of her brand in Rockridge in 2024. She said that the loss of Sweet July and other nearby shops in black ownership on Broadway represent more than economic losses. “They are cultural losses and strips of Oakland from precisely the essence that has made it into such a energetic and communal city,” said Jay.

While Jay recognized that the departure of top -class companies creates perception that the city is “a lost thing”, she said that this narrative was not the entire picture. She opened the doors at her Broadway location, about a block from Sweet July, “not only as a business, but also as a pillar of resilience for the community. I believe in this city and I know that thriving here with the right support is still possible. “

Others expressed trouble that the sweet July falsely blamed the town for its suffering. A critic said that that they had operated two successful retail stores in Oakland for nearly twenty years and wrote that Oakland is “a great city with an incredible business”. This person also said: “Shame about @Sweetjuly because he beat up our city!”

In interviews with this news organization, several individuals who live or operate shops nearby saw the neighborhood as insecure, even with a close-by camp for courted people. “It's a beautiful community,” said Nanette Mervin, the owner of Cord and society Vintage furniture store on the corner of twenty third Street and Telegraph. “We had our problems, but I didn't see a rise in crime. I just have the sensation that the media shout away the people in front of Oakland. “

Isaac Pena, the deputy community director of Gallery 459, who manages several residential buildings in the area, including one next to the sweet July, said that he had not noticed anything “outside of the peculiar” crime. In fact, Pena said that he thought Sweet July spoke to his concerns by regularly publishing security personnel in business.

A sales and marketing manager who has lived in the same block as Sweet July since its opening, she never had the feeling that the business tried to integrate into the neighborhood. She has accused the business of not always running regular business hours and calculating “ridiculous” prices for some goods such as 130 US dollars for a hoodie with the sweet July logo. She added that Curry didn't seem to be a big presence and only reminded that she turned up when the shop relaxed the street so that she did a photo shoot.

Sweet July has not shared whether other factors played a role in deciding to close, including challenges that many inpatient retailers had. Journalists have also recorded how the connection of a company with a famous name does not guarantee success, reports on a over -saturated global market for stars sponsored brands and found that even Gwyneth Paltrow, the original Celebrity Lifestyle Guru, has struggled in recent years Discharges and closures of the warehouse in their Goop Company.

Others wonder whether Curry is so much on an abundance of industries in a wealth of industries. She is known for her cookbooks, TV appearances, the international smoke restaurant partnership with chef Michael Mina and her philanthropy with Steph Curry on behalf of the Oakland Schools. In the meantime, their sweet July brand includes a production company, a publisher, a quarterly magazine and A Skin care products. Haute Beauty registered in January That she might want to act something. Two days after the sweet July, the business announced that she and her sister-in-law were Sydel Curry-Lee presented in bon apetiteBalancing with the luxurious domain curry Winery.

Critics also pointed out that Curry's shops are not always successful, with her and Minas International Rowing Imperium Five locations have been closed since 2016. T.The latest closure on the MGM Grand was in Las Vegas Announced at the start of this monthOnly leave the San Francisco restaurant.

Originally published: February 5, 2025 at 1:05 p.m. PST

San Francisco-Steph Curry's knee disturbed him enough in order that the soldiers held it on the front of a back back and turned him out for his or her Tuesday evening against Utah.

“With the back-to-back we are confident that he will play tomorrow,” said head coach Steve Kerr Pregame. “But it felt with three games in the next four nights, with the knees where they are, let's be wise and go from there.”

Kerr said Curry's knee flared up when he got here in for early training. On the training table with the director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini, you made the decision that it might be best to rest against jazz.

Curry also has to cope with a thumb injury to his shooting hand, but insists that it isn’t an excuse. In the primary game after he had jammed his thumb, he went with a blowout victory against the 76s 8-to-8.

Curry is an all-star for the eleventh time in his profession and scores a median of twenty-two.3 points and 6.4 templates, while he’s sold out to the defense that’s sold out to slow him down within the evening.

Curry hadn't played each ends of a back-to-back back in November to last week after the start of his knee cheek. Kerr said he hoped that the established order can be in the long run, but every little thing can change on the subject of the health of the 36-year-old.

“This is all part of it to be only proactive,” said Kerr. “We take it day by day from week to week. It made sense to free him the night, attempt to do it right for the remaining of the week. “

Curry's injury implies that the soldiers will likely be in Curry, Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga without their three best players. Green will only play next week, while Kuminga is not going to return from the numerous ankle injury before the trading period on February 6, which he had suffered on January 4.

It isn’t a nasty night that Golden State will likely be shorthanded. Jazz's injury report includes Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams and Johnny Juzang.

The Warriors founded Dennis Schroder, Buddy Hield, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis. As within the last three games, the Rookie Center Quinten Post will take the rotation into consideration.

Tuesday is Curry's ninth season game. The players cannot miss greater than 17 to give you the chance to query like all-NBA awards at the top of the season.

It's been some time since we went to the mailbag, so let's not wait any longer since it was filled to the brim after one other disastrous week for the Dubs:

With the entire salary cap apron system seemingly designed to destroy the Warriors, is there anything they might do in trades that may make a difference? Or is the NBA simply working as planned?

– Sharon R.

The system works, that's obviously. You can see it on the NBA trade market. There have been three player moves this season as so many teams within the league are hamstrung by the league's recent rules, which resulted in legitimate hard caps and limited salary pooling.

And don't forget that the Warriors lost a portion of their $30 million salary last offseason once they fired Chris Paul solely for luxury tax avoidance.

The NBA owners wanted a system that may control big-market, big-spending teams just like the Warriors, and so they got it.

But the Warriors' problems aren't resulting from the brand new luxury tax rules – the Dubs had loads of opportunity to make fundamental changes to the roster before and after the changes. They could have grabbed a No. 2 pick for Steph Curry eventually yr's trade deadline, last offseason, or sometime this season.

They didn't and there isn’t any plan to unravel the team's biggest problem.

However, there are potential trades that would make a difference for the Warriors, who’re three games behind the No. 5 seed within the Western Conference standings as of Thursday morning.

One such move could be acquiring Nikola Vučević from the Bulls. A half-measure? Perhaps. But it’s a measure, and meaning something.

The good shooting and rebounding player would fit well alongside Draymond Green and/or Jonathan Kuminga (the 2 cannot play together unless Green is the point of interest), which is a rarity within the league. He could be the point of interest of the offense when Steph Curry isn't on the sphere, and while I doubt he would finish every game due to his lax defense, I don't think he would cost greater than Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, and Kevon Looney – three other non-final players.

Bringing in a super-protected first-round draft pick (I feel you're getting top-20 protection the primary time around next yr) and getting super-deep point guard Jevon Carter as a part of the deal could be the Warriors in my view a step or two higher.

Robert Williams could be a wonderful substitute for the Blazers and would give the Warriors some real rim protection. Support players could be acquired as a part of a three-way, four-way or five-way swap.

There are countless scenarios. Suffice to say, something can and ought to be done so as to add quality players to this team.

One thing you didn't write about is their incredible INABILITY to attain when the opposing team decides to play zone defense, normally within the second half.

—Kit K.

In the Dec. 4 column, the Warriors were 14 losses behind on Wednesday night. I'll forgive you for forgetting that I used to be rooting for the Dubs' late games back then – which led to a five-game losing streak from which the team never really recovered.

This has been a problem for the Dubs for a very long time. Without a viable shot maker next to Curry, a 6-foot-2 guard has to do every part on offense. I don't care who it’s – it doesn't matter in the fashionable game where teams are expected to place 30 points on the board every quarter.

Wednesday's game against the Kings was just the most recent transgression – the Dubs led by 4 points with 4 minutes to play.

The Kings then outscored them 14-4 as Golden State shot 2 of 9 from the sphere and was fouled five times.

It was the form of late-game blunder that may make another fanbase lose their minds. I believe Warriors fans expected it to occur.

The Celtics [were] just too big for the Warriors to maintain up on each offense and defense. I've noticed this for a while, and I feel the necessity for a reliable 5 yr old would open up opportunities for more points. Still, I wouldn't act [Jonathan Kuminga] as a part of a trading package (although I don't think they’ve much else to supply). He is the long run of the team.

—Marc P.

Let's take a more in-depth take a look at this Kuminga comment, because I hear it loads:

Kuminga is the long run of the team as he’s young and talented. Both characteristics are undeniable.

But on a winning team of the long run he’s at best a secondary member. And it's difficult to cope with him.

I'm not questioning his character here, but quite wondering what he's particularly good at three years and greater than 5,300 minutes into his NBA profession?

He can run across the bottom and jump higher than anyone else. It's a pleasant skill to have, so long as it's accompanied by sophistication. So far that shouldn’t be the case. He doesn't shoot the 3-pointer well, he doesn't really rebound or pass, he doesn't protect the rim, and his on-ball defense is proscribed to certain forms of wings.

I understand he’s 22 years old and was drafted in 2021. But don’t say that it is just too early to make at the least some decision about Kuminga. We can compete along with his colleagues Cade Cunningham (All-Star), Franz Wagner (was on this round), Scottie Barnes (All-Star) and Evan Mobley (elite defender and rising offensive player). Meanwhile, Josh Giddey and Davion Mitchell – other Kuminga colleagues within the 2021 draft lottery – have already been jettisoned as their original teams knew they’d made a mistake within the acquisition.

This is why I said that Kuminga is one in every of those players that bad front offices eat up. His talent is undeniable and alluring. But talent only gets you into the league – knowing your role keeps you within the league.

And that guy isn't Paolo Banchero (22 years old) or Jalen Williams (23), though he might think so.

If the Warriors keep Kuminga past the trade deadline, they’ve two options this summer: extend him as a part of restricted free agency or give him a qualifying offer, which is a one-year deal that ends in unrestricted free agency .

The Warriors will shrink back from risk and do the previous. In the meantime, I expect his trade value to be lower – his talent may not change, but he will probably be a yr older and have a wider alternative of players, which won't help his cause.

A Kuminga extension would robotically make him the point of interest of the team's future. Therefore, the rebuilding post-Steph Warriors will likely construct themselves around a player who isn't ok to be No. 2 today but will reportedly be No. 1 sooner or later; A player who doesn't particularly excel in either area of ​​the sphere, but is just talented enough to consider a breakthrough is imminent.

Congratulations. They now depend on Keldon Johnson or Harrison Barnes, the previous No. 7 overall pick within the draft.

When I ask, “What future?” that’s what I mean.

Of course there’s a likelihood for Kuminga to buck the trends and prove me fallacious. But what's the perfect case scenario here – he becomes a significantly higher rebounder, defender and passer, making him the subsequent Pascal Siakam?

That's not the variety of player you're constructing around unless your goal isn't to win games.

SAN FRANCISCO – The first round of Fan voting for the 2025 All-Star Game are in, they usually are somewhat dangerous for Steph Curry.

Curry, 36, has been a 10-time All-Star and this yr's event – hosted at Chase Center – is anticipated to be a celebration of his greatness. But although Curry is one of the popular players amongst fans, he’s on the surface looking in after the primary ballots arrive.

With 810,357 votes, Curry ranks third amongst backcourt players within the Western Conference. Both Luka Doncic (870,071 votes) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1,053,683) are ahead of him within the polls.

Fan voting accounts for 50% of the starting lineup, while media and player votes each account for 25%. Three frontcourt and two backcourt players from each conference will form the starters, with coaches choosing seven reserve players – no matter position – for every team.

It can be incredible for Curry to be left off the roster entirely, especially with the All-Star Game within the Bay Area, but early fan feedback suggests it wouldn't be not possible.

There are still two more rounds of fan voting to go, but when the present votes hold, Curry would join a big pool of reserve candidates for coaches to sift through. That group would come with Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, De'Aaron Fox, Alperen Sengun and Jalen Williams.

Curry is averaging 22 points and 6.4 assists per game this yr, but among the players mentioned above have arguably had more impressive seasons up to now.

Commissioner Adam Silver consulted with Curry to seek out latest ways to boost the All-Star Game, which has faltered in recent times. The latest format features a miniature tournament between 4 teams – three eight-player All-Star teams and the winner of the Rising Stars game between rookies, sophomores and G League players. Play until age 40.

Fan voting for the February sixteenth game runs until January twentieth and full rosters shall be announced on January thirtieth.

In the primary round of voting, Andrew Wiggins was the one other Warrior besides Curry to make it into the highest 10; He ranked eighth amongst West frontcourt players with 187,530 votes.

The last time the Bay Area hosted the All-Star festivities at Oracle Arena in 2000, the Warriors had no All-Stars. Curry will likely be certain that history doesn't repeat itself, but he might have the fan vote to vote in his favor.

Remarkable

— Steph Curry sprained his right thumb and has it taped for Thursday night's game against the 76ers at Chase Center. Although he was listed as questionable, the Warriors expected him to play.

– After two straight DNPs, Kevon Looney could play a much bigger role against Joel Embiid and Philadelphia.

– Embiid didn’t play in Wednesday night's loss to Sacramento and was forced to take a seat out the primary leg of back-to-back games. Paul George dropped 30 points in the primary three quarters but went scoreless within the fourth quarter and committed three turnovers and two fouls. The Kings finished the sport with a 15-0 run.

Steph Curry is making his second trip to the brand recent Intuit Dome in Inglewood, but he won't be getting dressed.

Curry, 36, is inactive for Friday night's game against the Clippers. Since this move is the primary of back-to-back appearances, the Warriors are awaiting him to handle bilateral knee tendonitis that he has struggled with this yr.

Golden State (15-14) will even be without Gary Payton II, who left the Christmas game with a left calf strain that can sideline him for at the very least the subsequent week.

When the knee problems began in late November, a part of the conversation between Curry and the coaching staff centered on whether to play back-to-back games. On December 5, he sat out the Houston game at some point before the sport against Minnesota.

Now the Warriors have moved as much as tenth place within the Western Conference after losing 11 of their last 14 games – including a Christmas classic with the Lakers. Before that game, Curry addressed the team with a transient speech, acknowledging that the Warriors were at a turning point.

Despite the urgency, the Warriors all the time and proceed to have the larger picture of their superstar in mind.

“That’s always been part of the challenge,” Curry said at Christmas. “I want to play every game. Especially when you look at the rankings and the games, but especially when you're trying to get over the hurdle of having something that you can feel good about and want to be a part of… You always have to “You have to be smart when you take into account the miles I have and where I am in my career.”

Curry played 36 minutes against the Lakers, nearly his season high. He scored 38 points, including the Warriors' last eight. Golden State likes to maintain it around 32 minutes, but increase it as the sport — and the stage — warrants.

“We have to help him get through the regular season,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Christmas.

Friday will likely be Curry's sixth missed game of the season. Despite a below-average December by his high standards, Curry is averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds while hitting 4.3 triples per game.

Curry ranks eighth within the league in box plus/minus and thirteenth in value above alternative, two advanced stats that reflect overall impact.

The Warriors are 4-1 in games without Curry this season, including a formidable win over the Rockets by which Jonathan Kuminga scored a season-high 33 points. Golden State will likely take the ball more often in Curry's absence and use recent guard Dennis Schroder steadily.

The Clippers defeated the Warriors in each of their first two meetings. Los Angeles sits in seventh place at 17-13 despite Kawhi Leonard – who won't debut Friday – missing all yr. Winger Terance Mann can be out with a broken finger.

SAN FRANCISCO — LeBron James dribbled down the court on a one-man fast break before beating several Golden State defenders for an and-1 layup on the Warriors' vivid yellow court midway through the third quarter.

The scene, which Bay Area fans had seen dozens of times over the past decade, played out again on Christmas Day as James faced Olympic teammate Steph Curry and the Warriors.

After the Lakers withstood a last-second Curry bombardment and got a layup from Austin Reaves to win 115-113, James sat at his locker and had a succinct answer for why fans should hearken to the NBA within the midst of a rankings crisis .

“LeBron and Steph,” James said.

After James scored 31 points on Christmas Day and Curry starred in 38, it's hard to argue with the league's all-time leading scorer. But how long will it stay that way?

Although the teams will meet three more times throughout the regular season, the Lakers won a game that would go down in history as James' final Christmas Day showdown with Curry.

“I’m just enjoying the moment and being grateful,” James said. “I’m very grateful to give you the option to play the sport I really like on such an exquisite day. I had the luxurious of, I feel, playing for the nineteenth time on Christmas today. So you already know it doesn't come naturally to me to go up against one in every of the best players of all time and one in every of the best franchises since I've been within the league.”

Since James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, has made public statements hinting at retirement over the past year, both he and the Lakers organization know that games like Wednesday's should be cherished.

“It was great and it was different,” Lakers coach JJ Reddick said. “Part of it is just him enjoying the moment. There aren’t many of those left, and that’s just the reality.”

The Lakers secured the win when Austin Reaves made a layup with one second left in the game. That shot came just six seconds after Curry made his second three-pointer in the final 12 seconds, a three-pointer that left James both angry and stunned.

“You have to take your hat off because he is a great player and you just have to take your hat off,” James said. “You feel like, '(expletive), in comparison with us, why?' But as a fan, you're like, 'How did he do this?' because he's special. You definitely have an appreciation for it.”

What was once a perennial Christmas Day barnburner from 2015 to 2018 has been renewed after a six-year hiatus.

On a day when the NFL aired two bloopers, James and Curry were the celebs of the NBA's signature Christmas spectacle. Again.

“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James said on ESPN after winning his record-tying eleventh Christmas game.

James' Cleveland Cavaliers and Curry's Warriors met in 4 consecutive Finals from 2015 to 2018, with the Warriors winning all but 2016, when James and Co. famously got here back from a 3-1 deficit to assert the primary and only title of the season Secured franchise.

Since then, the James-led Lakers have defeated the Warriors within the 2021 Play-In Tournament and the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals.

While the Lakers' win definitely didn't carry the stakes of that playoff series or the Finals of the late 2010s – the Lakers (17-13) and Warriors (15-14) are the seventh and eighth seeds within the Western Conference – , he didn't lack intensity.

After Anthony Davis left the sport with a sprained ankle in the primary quarter, the Lakers' ageless superstar needed to placed on a classic King James performance, scoring 31 points and providing 10 assists, just two days after posting a 28-point triple-double The Pistons had assembled against him.

The Lakers' lineup late in the primary quarter – young players Christian Koloko and rookie Dalton Knecht paired with mediocre veterans Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish – was a setback for James' lack of a supporting solid in among the aforementioned Finals.

But that was just for a fleeting moment. Reaves began within the absence of injured guard and former Warrior D'Angelo Russell. He posted a 26-point triple-double and scored the ultimate 4 points to offer James the assistance he needed.

“It came to a hand that we trust,” said James, describing the last move. “The piece was designed for me and they doubled me in the top key, and it's always great to have great options on the floor at the same time. AR was in that position.”

James increased his Christmas Day points record (507) and games played (19).

How many more Christmas games will James play within the Bay Area against his team's superstar guard? That still must be clarified. But if this really was James and Curry's final duel on December twenty fifth, the pair's legacy is ironclad.

“Just like Magic and Larry in the 1980s and MJ in the 1990s and Kobe for a long time, they led the league in some ways,” Lakers coach JJ Reddick said. “The popularity, the growth and all of that is a big part of it.”

Originally published: December 25, 2024 at 9:01 pm PST

Windows are a metaphor for opportunities in basketball. Limited probabilities of success. Open spaces that close quickly. The passing lane on a backdoor cut. A superb view of the basket from a screen. The final stretch of a season. A decisive game in a playoff series. An era.

Stephen Curry's window is open, as his performance in Paris proves. He prolonged it on Thursday – signing a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension – while stressing that it’ll inevitably close. A creative move for a player whose profession is all about creating and exploiting windows.

Curry is now under contract for 3 more years and is price almost $178 million. His contract expires in the identical offseason as Draymond Green's. And suddenly it appears like the start of the top. A calculated move to launch one last push.

“From my perspective, it's no different,” Curry said. “You appreciate the position and the opportunity and the support of the people who have been with you along the way. I've always said I want to play for one team my whole career, so it's good to get the (contract extension) issue out of the way and focus fully on basketball and the season.”

It is a sense that Curry just experienced in his debut with Team USA. The basketball world remains to be feeling the consequences of his Explosion on the Olympic Games in ParisAnd it still moves him.

It happened, Curry said, because he needed to be within the moment. He waited too long to not dive in. It was a window considered closed, however the persistence of his elite kept it open long enough to take advantage of it. And he did.

“You're fully present,” Curry said. “The sacrifice that my family went through allows me to be fully present. It just gave me the opportunity to play basketball and try to have as much fun as possible. It was one of those pure moments that stands out when you look back on your life and the experiences you've had. It was the most surreal feeling, especially the way it ended. I felt like a kid again. A 12 out of 10 experience.”

One of the explanations for signing the contract was to attain this purity of focus. A fifth championship can be a fairytale ending to a wonderful profession. But the Warriors missed the 2024 playoffs and have a steep mountain to climb in a brief time period.

Could Curry play longer? Of course. But he shall be 39 at the top of his current contract, in order that's not a given.

That's the time the Warriors have left. Three years to climb the mountain again. Three years to get essentially the most out of the personality of a generation that was a pillar of certainly one of the best sports franchises of the fashionable era. The last trilogy for the 3-point king.

If Curry's priority had been extending his profession, he would have had to attend until next summer to increase his contract. Then he could have signed a two-year deal at 37, giving him an additional 12 months of max salary and fully realizing his earning potential as an NBA superstar. But signing for a 12 months now – the longest 12 months allowed under the NBA's “over 38” rule, which caps contracts at three years if the player finally ends up being 38 or older – has a certain symbolism.

Curry took the cash now, not later. He curated a three-year window somewhat than planning for 4, perhaps organising what may very well be a final three-peat. In doing so, he created a clever strategy to give Golden State's front office a vote of confidence without sacrificing urgency.

“It's still about winning,” Curry said, “and taking the necessary steps to give ourselves a chance. The standard hasn't changed. The expectations haven't changed.”

Knowing when the top might come should prevent complacency. Knowing when he might hang up his Under Armours, Curry is perhaps much more motivated to capitalize on his final prime years. And he's more prone to push himself elsewhere if he starts to imagine the Warriors aren't as much as the challenge. All NBA contracts are tradeable.

The obvious advantage can be to attend until next offseason, when he only has one 12 months left on his contract. That can be the normal way of holding Golden State's management accountable, and the mere possibility of his departure can be a slap within the face.

Curry wouldn't sign the contract if he thought it might be a blow to the Warriors' championship hopes. Absolutely not. He said the choice to sign now was a vote of confidence and a likelihood to capitalize on the chance. A commitment that guarantees patience while adding pressure.

He believes the Warriors' attempts to get him a worthy supporting solid were serious enough. This contract extension is a vote of confidence that the Mike Dunleavy-led front office will proceed to work toward a title. Whatever happened this summer — especially what didn't occur, with the Warriors failing to make a decisive move — wasn't an indictment of the franchise's efforts, even when it underscored the fact of their scarce upgrade options.

But Curry was involved in all of the motion and in constant dialogue with Dunleavy. Curry recruited Paul George. So Curry is evident about what the Warriors had under control and the way lots of their failures were the fault of their rivals.

The next window is the February trading deadline.

The Warriors will not be title contenders by any objective measure this season. They lost Klay Thompson to Dallas. They were unsuccessful in trading George and Lauri Markkanen, two players who could have moved them up within the crowded Western Conference.

Of course, that may be reason enough for Curry to attend until the subsequent offseason to increase his contract until the Warriors showed their championship potential. But he prolonged his contract despite having to play mediocre defense for 82 games with no co-star who could bolster the Warriors' offense.

Another reason he would do that: The extra $62 million at the top of his current contract is a reward that's hard to pass up, especially when you assume the Warriors won't let up.. With just weeks left until training camp, Curry's name is the most popular within the NBA after he just turned his legacy into gold. He'll be 37 at the top of this season, so it makes perfect sense to snag that expensive contract extension now.

But if there's anyone who has lasting influence, if there's an NBA superstar who can ensure that his departure can be so massive that it might bring a whole franchise to wreck, if there's anyone who still has a reliable marketplace for his services, even in his mid-30s, it's Golden State's No. 30. There's an excellent likelihood he'll be hitting the bottom running next season.

Still, Curry can have done the double job of maximizing his earnings and giving the Warriors a reason to not look to the distant future. Because if the Olympics did anything apart from remind us of his greatness, it was to evoke the tough truth of his mortality. Him with LeBron James and Kevin Durant was fascinating because they were still so impressive at this level of their careers. And at the identical time, they evoked an appreciation, knowing their appeal can't last perpetually.

Curry's first appearance on Team USA was his last. Because the show won't last perpetually.

Now the energy shifts from the last Olympics to the Larry O'Brien Trophy, where his sensible performance inspired hope that patience, labor and quality cohorts can once more produce a unbelievable climax.

Curry knows he may not give you the option to succeed in ring number 5. Championships are difficult. The Warriors need an enormous likelihood simply to get out of the play-in tournament. But what counts is a valiant effort. All he needs is to honor the whole lot he's put into preseason and be a perfect face of the franchise by attempting to win now.

The window is open a bit longer. But windows are only windows because they close.