2x NBA champion believes Curry-James duo would be far from championship guarantee

Ever since the Golden State Warriors attempted a stunning play for LeBron James at February's mid-season deadline, the thought of the 4x MVP and Stephen Curry playing together has been stirring among some fans.

The dream was realized when the legendary pair played together for Team USA at the recent Paris Olympics, with Curry and James leading their country to Gold after defeating France in the Final. But if anything their success at the Olympics -- which saw both make the All-Star five team -- has generated more interest in whether they could ever play together in the NBA.

Kenny Smith believes a team with Stephen Curry and LeBron James wouldn't be guaranteed championship success

Plenty of people have had their say on a potential Curry and James pairing, including current and former players in Kendrick Perkins, Matt Barnes and Christian Wood. ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks has also identified the 2026 offseason as a time when the superstar duo could team up, with both coming out of contract unless they extend on their current deals.

2x NBA champion turned "Inside the NBA" analyst Kenny Smith is the latest to have his say on the idea of a Curry-James pairing during a recent interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org. Smith believes the duo wouldn't be guaranteed of winning a ring together, suggesting that the Boston Celtics would still be title favorites in such a scenario.

"They've proven over the past five years by being a winning duo (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), that they have the best team. They're going to have a lot to say about that," Smith said during the interview.

The Celtics have made at least the Conference Finals in six of the past eight years, and broke their 16-year championship drought against the Dallas Mavericks last season. They also made the NBA Finals in 2022 where they lost to Curry and the Warriors in six games.

The idea of a Curry-James duo should sit on the back-burner for now after the latter just re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, but it shouldn't be completely ruled out depending on the direction of their respective teams once the 2024-25 season gets underway.