Key Takeaways
- Steph Curry potentially first learned that LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers over the Golden State Warriors when a fan yelled the news to him during Moses Moody's charity golf tournament, prompting only a quick phone check before he kept playing.
- Speaking the next day at Moody's youth camp, Curry called himself "a realist" and reacted to LeBron's decision by saying, "That's why you don't envision anything until it happens, there's a lot of moving parts," acknowledging how injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moody have complicated the Warriors' plans.
Steph Curry appeared to find out LeBron James was not heading to Golden State from a stranger on a golf course.
The two-time MVP was participating in Moses Moody's charity golf tournament Friday (July 24) when spectators broke the news to him that LeBron had signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. A video posted on X shows Curry checking his phone briefly after the spectator shouts the news at him, before resuming his round without a word.
By Saturday (July 25), the NBA champion was more forthcoming. Speaking at Moody's youth basketball camp, Curry offered a measured take on LeBron's decision to sign with the Sixers.
"That's why you don't envision anything until it happens," Curry said (via The Athletic). "There's a lot of moving parts."
The comment landed with extra weight given how publicly Curry had lobbied for a reunion. Weeks earlier at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, according to Yahoo! Sports, his pitch for LeBron to join Golden State included him calling their potential pairing "a unique story in sports history" and dangling the Bay Area's golf scene as a bonus perk.
That pitch went unanswered. The Golden State Warriors had been widely considered the frontrunner, with people inside the Lakers' locker room among those expecting LeBron to head west to play alongside Curry, Draymond Green, and coach Steve Kerr — eventually with a recovered Jimmy Butler in the mix.
Instead, LeBron James opted to head out east. As reported by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the NBA legend signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.
