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Would LeBron and Anthony Davis on the Warriors work? Who knows, but wed all watch Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
Strong enough to convince us our childhood tasted better.
That summers lasted longer.
That music struck deeper chords.
That the people we admired were larger than life.
Fond memories have a funny way of sanding down rough edges until all thats left is smooth.
Sports might be the biggest dealer of nostalgia.
The NBA a kingpin.
ADVERTISING Every basketball fan has a version of the past they keep folded in their pocket, ready to pull out whenever the present threatens to diminish their passions.
Michael Jordan.
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
The Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille ONeal.
They remain dear because our relevance is tied to theirs.
They are evidence of the significance of our respective eras.
So when the whispers emerge of the Golden State Warriors uniting Stephen Curry and LeBron James, with Anthony Davis and Draymond Green, logic barely gets space to breathe.
The difficulty of the deal is one hurdle, making it a long shot.
The potential for combustibility makes it feel like a risky endeavor.
But nostalgia? It stirs up intrigue and makes one wonder: What if? What if Currys gravity is the magic sauce to make this work? What if LeBron, perhaps feeling disrespected by the Los Angeles Lakers, is extra motivated for one last mountain to climb? What if Davis and Green lighten each others workload? What if, somehow, miraculously, they are all healthy come April, ready to take on the new generation of stars? Excuse the lot of us who find the concept tantalizing.
Those of us who choose to use their most recent stretches of production as evidence of what remains possible.
All of them have scratched the surface of their greatness recently enough to dream.
So go ahead.
Get the jokes off.
Including Al Horford, who re-signed Friday, the Warriors could have an opening night starting five with an average age of 37.6.
Including Kristaps Porzingis, who re-signed Monday, the Warriors potential top six players missed a total of 224 games last season.
The culture would be well within its right to call them N.W.AARP or the Salt &Pepper Steppers.
But, maaaan, if they take the court together.
Their individual peaks are astronomical enough to imagine the brilliance they could concoct together.
At this point, it remains a long shot.
For starters, the Warriors love Jimmy Butler whose $56.8 million salary would have to be traded in this scenario.
From what Im told, it would take something like this to trade Butler, who just flew in for the Warriors fancy introduction of their new jersey badge as part of a partnership with IREN.
And the Warriors could be mere pawns in a leverage play that gets LeBron and Davis paid by their incumbent teams.
But Golden State is definitely open to the possibility.
They dont have many options for significant upgrades.
So Mike Dunleavy, Golden States head basketball honcho, is vetting whats possible.
Whether they can get Davis and his $58.5 million salary is really up to the Washington Wizards.
They could keep him, trade him in February, or sign him to the massive extension he wants.
They have options, which means theyd have to really want what the Warriors offer Butlers expiring contract.
Would the Warriors do this if it requires sweeteners to Washington, such as a first-round pick? Thats the question they might have to answer.
But Green opting out of his contract was the first step in making this happen.
And something we do know is Joe Lacob loves this type of splash, the big move that changes the dynamic and puts the spotlight on Golden State in the process.
So, maybe they sacrifice a future pick for a super team from 2019.
Its a real enough scenario to visualize.
Its also a real enough scenario to conjure a disappointing end.
Three or four of them glued to the bench in fine garb, leaving one or two stars expending themselves trying to keep hope alive with a patchwork supporting cast.
Or them fighting to get a playoff spot only for Oklahoma City or San Antonio to run circles around them, reminding everyone the NBA is a young mans league.
Weve seen similar efforts to coalesce former greats.
Teams trying to rekindle old glory is a pastime.
Some worked out pretty well, like Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler, both into their 30s, joining Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston.
They almost made the NBA Finals, if not for John Stockton.
Some didnt work so well, like the super team created when Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on the Lakers.
It was supposed to break the league, but Nashs back broke that hope.
Whats interesting about the Warriors potential additions is it could go either way.
Sure, we havent seen figures this advanced in age team up since Sylvester Stallone joined forces with Dolph Lundgren, Wesley Snipes and Jet Li to illustrate the healing powers of stretching.
And CGI.
This potential merging of legends might require load management on a scale weve never seen.
But it would also be the most skilled, intelligent, experienced and fit collection of old heads weve ever seen.
It is unknown how many aging ligaments and tendons the Warriors renowned performance guru Rick Celebrini can handle simultaneously.
But it would be fun to find out.
Either way, well get to see a last ride from players whove delivered some of the best moments of a generation.
A pyrotechnic display of timeless greatness.
Or a feeble fade into finality.
The potential of the former outweighs the risk of the latter.
Because well appreciate every moment knowing it might be the last.
Because theyll give us fresh reminders of who they are, and how great they were.
Well have 4K evidence for future fealty as new GOATs emerge.
This could be a riveting way to go out.
A final sequel no one asked for but everyone would watch.
Arenas would buzz when Golden State came to town.
Every national television executive would want that collection of names on their marquee.
The young superstars would circle the date against the legends they grew up on, either to prove their day has passed or to avoid getting worked by gray beards.
And the fans would tune in to see it all.
The NBA has always been as much theater as competition.
Dynasties evolve into mythology.
Rivalries become folklore.
And, eventually, every generation endures the emotional experience of watching its superheroes surrender their capes to Father Time.
Because ends are part of the story.
We know enough about age and athleticism to not expect consistent excellence.
Vintage LeBron wont show up every night.
The magic of Curry wont sprinkle every possession.
Draymond wont wreck every offense.
But the captivation lies in those random bursts when their best make an appearance.
Because weve seen the flashes recently enough to believe theyve still got some juice left.
LeBron just carried the Lakers in the playoffs while Luka Doncic watched.
Curry can still detonate and crumble any opponent.
Draymond put the clamps on Kawhi Leonard just two months ago.
Davis, just 33, still has nights where he looks like one of the most gifted big men alive.
Horford can still catch fire and man the paint for a few stints.
Of course, its fathomable they could be no match for their age and ailments and the youth movement in the league.
But its also fathomable theyd have enough greatness on the court at any given moment to carry the day.
Put them in a playoff series, healthy, against any team, with their collection of will and experience, and they might turn the clock back on these youngsters.
They could go on a run, picking their spots to turn up, overwhelming foes with their old-man strength and savvy, and leaning on their vast experience to deliver in the moments.
But thats probably the nostalgia talking.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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