Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knows greatness when he sees it. The 60-year-old bench boss cannot help but marvel at what LeBron James and Stephen Curry have meant to the game of basketball.
Thursday's Lakers visit to Chase Center reignited the James-Curry on-court rivalry. Curry sat out with a knee issue, but the 41-year-old James once again made his presence felt.
James powered the Lakers to a 119-103 victory, tallying 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. DeAndre Ayton added 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while Jake LaRavia chipped in 16.
After the game, Kerr addressed what separates the two all-time greats from the rest.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Kerr has spent his career surrounded by greatness. As a player, he won five NBA titles, including three alongside Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s.
As a coach, he guided Curry and the Warriors through their own championship run. Kerr also has firsthand experience with James, having coached him with Team USA. Few people in NBA history have had a closer look at the game's elite.
In his postgame interview, Kerr addressed the shared DNA among the greatest players he has been around.
"All great players share an obsession with the game itself. All the guys I've played with or coached, it means everything to them," he said.
Kerr then elaborated on how both stars continue to defy age. Curry, at 38, is in his 17th NBA season, while James is in his 23rd year.
"Steph [Curry] has the greatest hand-eye coordination I think anybody on earth," Kerr said. "And LeBron [James] is probably the greatest athlete, physical specimen that I've ever seen. ... There's a reason they're both still going."
The two stars have had contrasting fortunes this season. James and the Lakers are in fourth place in the Western Conference. Curry and the Warriors sit 10th, looking to navigate the play-in tournament and punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs.
