Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor shared a bombshell on Sunday, reporting that the Golden State Warriors are angling to add LeBron James and Anthony Davis to their Stephen Curry-led core. The report quickly triggered discussion across the sports world, with former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho among those who shared his reaction to the stunning rumor.
Emmanuel Acho Reacts to Report Linking LeBron James and Anthony Davis to Stephen Curry’s Warriors
The Warriors’ reported plan to unite Davis, James, and Curry would involve moving Jimmy Butler’s contract to acquire Davis, who is currently with the Washington Wizards, before signing James in free agency.
If the scenario becomes reality, it would finally bring James and Curry together on the same NBA team after years of competing against each other in some of the league’s biggest matchups.
The two superstars already experienced success as teammates during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they helped Team USA win another gold medal. With fresh speculation surrounding a potential NBA partnership, sports analyst Emmanuel Acho had plenty of things to say in the latest episode of the “Speakeasy” show.
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“LeBron James and Steph Curry both desperately need this move,” Acho said. “Because without this move, LeBron James and Steph Curry are about to have rough landings to the end of their career. Steph Curry might retire as a top two-point guard of all time. Many people have tried to propel him ahead of Magic Johnson. But if Steph Curry plays another three or four years as a play-in team, which that’s all they’ve been the last two to three years, then what is that for his legacy?
“Lebron James, he is flirting with being the second or third best player on his team behind Austin Reaves? What would that mean for his legacy? You could suggest that this would be the best thing to happen to LeBron James and Steph Curry.”
“LeBron James and Steph Curry desperately NEED this move to happen”
– @EmmanuelAcho weighs in on the NBA rumors that Anthony Davis and LeBron James could be reuniting in Golden State with Steph Curry
WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW ➡️ https://t.co/oU4bmDUTFL pic.twitter.com/oJJ4B1AG03
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) June 29, 2026
Both James and Curry continued to post elite individual numbers during the 2025-26 NBA regular season, though their teams experienced different levels of success.
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James appeared in 60 regular-season games, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds while shooting an efficient 51.5% from the field. Curry missed time because of injuries but still averaged 26.6 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds across 43 regular-season games.
Even as they continue playing well beyond the age when most NBA stars begin to decline, both veterans remain among the league’s premier playmakers. This sustained excellence is a major reason why the possibility of them pairing up has created so much excitement.
Acho also pointed to a historic Lakers example, recalling how Los Angeles assembled an aging superteam in the 2003-04 season by adding future Hall of Famers Gary Payton and Karl Malone to a roster already featuring Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
“Join forces and do what the 2004 Lakers did,” Acho said. “At minimum, it’s a bunch of incredibly talented players that several are past their prime, but they could still go to the dance, and even if they do not win a championship, it will be closer than Karl Malone was gonna be on his own, 2004 Lakers, or Gary Payton was gonna be on his own, 2004 Lakers.
Meanwhile, James and Davis spent five full seasons together with the Lakers before the latter was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2025. Their partnership reached its peak in their first season together, helping Los Angeles win the 2020 NBA championship.
