Steph Details LeBron’s ‘Very Small’ Screen That Led to Team USA’s Success originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
For years, NBA fans around the world have dreamed of the day Steph Curry and LeBron James they would unite and dominate the ground together.
Now that they are with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer, they have not disappointed. Yours great moments off the court Due to their inspiring chemistry on the court, the superstar duo never fails to make the most of their partnership with Team USA.
And they even created a special piece – which works.
It’s an action in which Curry, at 6-foot-2 as the shortest player on the U.S. team, sets a screen for the 6-foot-1 James. The defender who switches to James most often is “too small” to stop him.
In addition to being fun to watch for basketball fans, the game between two of the sport’s biggest icons proved to be a success for Team USA’s offense.
“I’m a good tracker and I can cause some trouble for a guy like [LeBron] having the ball,” Curry said before Team USA practice in preparation for Tuesday’s Olympic quarterfinals against Brazil (h/t Joe Vardon from Atlético). “We do that a little bit in Golden State, where you have someone else with the ball and I’m setting up, and I have a lot of different actions that you can take. But if you can [LeBron] down the hill, good luck to whoever tries to stop him and make me go out into space.
“Just try to get teams to make decisions and the more decisions you can make on a defense, the more likely you are to create havoc.”
In eight games this summer, James is leading the Americans with 14.6 points per game on an incredible 62.7 percent clip.
For Curry, in five friendly games and three Olympic contests, the Warriors’ guard averages 10.5 points, but shooting just 39.1 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from 3-point range. Still, even when he’s not shooting the ball the way the world knows he’s capable, he tries to find other ways to make an impact on the floor — which includes running “really small.”
And when he’s working for the U.S. on offense, he makes Team USA coach Steve Kerr’s decision to stick with Curry — or not — that much easier.
“It’s something we immediately thought about when we put the team together because Steph is like a modern-day John Stockton,” Kerr said. “He’s the best point guard in the league, in my opinion. He’s so physical, he’s so strong. People don’t really think of him for it, but teams are afraid to leave him.
“So if he can set a screen and hold it, that will free someone. And obviously LeBron is LeBron, so it’s a good move for him.”
