Former NBA veteran Tracy McGrady picks LeBron James as best option for starting new franchise ahead of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are widely regarded among the greatest basketball players of all time. Despite playing for different teams in the league, the trio have created lasting impact and memories in the game together. But when it comes to choosing who to start a franchise with, former NBA star Tracy McGrady preferred King James.

The seven-time All-Star made this known in a recent video. According to McGrady, he got asked who he would start a franchise with if everyone was ’18-year-old again’. He replied to the question in the Instagram clip, letting his preference know.

I mean it's obvious, it's LeBron. I get it, but Steph has never, never when he faced LeBron. LeBron has always been the best player in the series. KD has been the better scorer, but you cannot take anybody over LeBron James in today's game. He does too much.

Tracy McGrady said

The way the former basketball veteran sees it, only LeBron James makes the final cut. He pointed out that the 39-year-old’s ability to dominate on the ball works well for his teammates. In McGrady’s view, that skillset would give any franchise a chance to challenge for the championship or even win it. He further added that while he loves both Kevin Durant and Curry, the best option remains the Lakers player.

This year, the trio of Curry, James and Durant showed the world how lethal they can be when playing together. The three of them combined effectively to lead the USA to a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics. On his part, James won the tournament’s MVP award while Curry was selected in the All-Star Five. All three superstars will now focus on helping their respective teams to championship success in the new NBA season.

Stephen Curry hopes for more experiences with LeBron James on the court

After teaming up with James to win gold in his first Olympics outing, Stephen Curry is hopeful they can play together more. The Phoenix Suns guard expressed his wish to share more big moments on the court with LeBron James.

All the battles we've had on the court and the back and forth, the fact that we actually got to be teammates, not just in any game like an All-Star game or whatever... I think there's a deepened respect and friendship there. Hopefully, there will be more experiences in the future, even if we're teammates or not.

Stephen Curry said in a recent interview with Natasha Dye of People.com

Indeed, fans have long imagined what it would be like for both players to be on the same team. However, there is no indication that it could become a reality any time soon, if at all. Regardless, they are among the greatest players in NBA history. So, fans may have to settle for Curry’s Warriors and James’ Los Angeles Lakers waging battle in the new season.