Rich Paul misses point on LeBron-Curry NBA bubble debate

Rich Paul misses point on LeBron-Curry NBA bubble debate originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The friendship and bond between Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and LeBron James spans more than the last two decades. James always will find a way to defend and propel Paul when given the opportunity, and vice versa, as seen in Paul’s appearance on the latest episode of the “Gil’s Arena” podcast.

When protecting the legitimacy of James’ fourth and most recent championship, one where the Los Angeles Lakers beat a depleted Miami Heat team in the 2020 NBA bubble, Paul asked, “If Steph [Curry] wins in the bubble do they discredit it?”

The panel, which also included former NBA players Brandon Jennings and Kenyon Martin, gave a resounding “yes,” one that Paul didn’t agree with.

“No they don’t,” Paul said.

Let’s get one thing straight: There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Paul standing up for his guy. That’s smart business, and their connection is about more than counting checks. But it also misses the point, one that Jennings quickly acknowledges.

“Outside of LeBron and Steph, yes, it’s just going to be like, OK. But them two, they’re the only two that’s going to get slandered,” Jennings responded.

And that’s more of the point: This is the Steph and LeBron era. There are no two ways around it.

There have been other champions and there have been other MVPs, but no two players have been held to a higher standard than Curry and James during this period. Both are four-time champions and have dominated the game in much different ways. The two have met in the NBA Finals four times, with Curry and the Warriors topping James and then the Cleveland Cavaliers in three out of four series.

The bubble undoubtedly was a test of mental fortitude while isolating away from family, friends and society during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as racial and social injustices. Only those who were there can know and understand the full circumstances of that. The…