Lakers: The Gift LeBron James Gave to Steph Curry When He Was in College

Lakers star LeBron James has been dominating the league for a very long time. Playing in his 19th season, he has seen legends retire and has also gotten to watch young guys blossom into stars. That tends to happen when you're in the NBA for nearly two decades. 

That would include guys like Steph Curry, who LeBron has seen more than enough of during the NBA Finals. But the friendship beyond the two extends beyond Curry making his NBA debut in 2009. 

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Curry talked about his first encounter with James. Back in 2008 while he was playing with Davidson College, LBJ showed up to meet Curry and give him a special gift. 

I was a sophomore in college and LeBron was coming to my games!” Curry said. “I actually still have the jersey he gave me. He signed a jersey for me. I think that was November of my junior year. On my wall at my parents’ house in Charlotte, it’s still there. And he wrote it to me, called me the king of basketball in North Carolina. So I guess it’s like the corny idols-become-rivals thing.

Back then, Curry was helping his team to upset wins over powerhouse basketball schools such as Gonzaga and Georgetown. James was playing in his fifth season in the NBA and on his way to becoming the league MVP the following year. 

A pretty cool story for two guys that dominate the NBA right now. Even 14 years later, James is still proving to everyone why he is one of the greatest of all time. What a career.