Why Legler believes Steph, LeBron and KD won't win more NBA titles

Why Legler thinks Steph, LeBron, KD won't win more NBA titles originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Has the NBA said goodbye to Warriors legend Steph Curry? The great LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers? Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant?

Despite their dominance over the years, ESPN analyst and former shooting guard Tim Legler believes the answer is a resounding “yes” as the next generation of the game takes center stage in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. In fact, Legler doesn't believe Curry, James or Durant will win another championship as their productive careers come to an end.

“I can’t imagine it happening,” Legler said on “Get Up” on Monday. “Steph Curry isn't leaving Golden State – he'll be playing his last game in a Warriors jersey, and I just don't know how they're going to rebuild the team to the extent that will be necessary given the competition.” ; some of these young teams, young stars in the Western Conference.”

While there is a little more uncertainty about where James and Durant will play next season, Legler added, he doesn't think the Lakers or Suns will break through should they keep their respective stars.

However, Curry and the Warriors are no strangers to doubt. Golden State defied the odds to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy after winning the 2022 NBA Finals – even after several NBA experts and speakers confidently declared that Curry would not experience another championship in his career.

“And the fact that at the beginning of this season the conversations about who we were as a team and what we were capable of were a stark reminder that some pundits and speakers had set the big zero on how many championships we would win in the future.” “Everything we’ve been through,” Curry told reporters after winning the 2022 Finals MVP. “We hear all this, and you're carrying it all, trying to maintain your purpose, not letting it distract you, but you're carrying this weight and this. “Come here, it's all coming out. It's something special.

But things are certainly different for the Warriors now. Andrew Wiggins failed to live up to the high expectations he set for Dub Nation this season in 2022, and Klay Thompson's future with Golden State remains uncertain as he nears free agency.

It will certainly be a tough, but not impossible, road for the Warriors to return to their former glory in 2024-25. Golden State could make a splash on the trade market this offseason to land Curry a scoring touch, but Legler believes the next generation of stars like Anthony Edwards and Luka Dončić are poised to make yesterday's greats irrelevant.

And for the first time since 2005, there is no team with Curry, James or Durant in the second round of the playoffs.

“Think about it – they’re home. The first round is over. These guys are all watching at the same time as this next generation of players take the stage and perform,” Legler said. “Because these guys not only play on good teams that win, they also make it incredibly entertaining.”

“Look, LeBron and Curry are at the top of the list, they're always going to attract a lot of interest… but if we're honest about the state of the league, it's now in the hands of this next wave.”

Curry is certainly someone who takes all criticism as motivation – he's the Petty King and ultimately hears everything. And as the Warriors try to turn things around next season, the Splash Brother will take the lead to prove Legler wrong.

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