LeBron James and Stephen Curry are adding another chapter in their famed rivalry this season as the Lakers and the Warriors face in the second-round of the Western Conference.
A lot of chatter around the player’s legacies and who’s better in this rivalry has naturally followed the series, but Skip Bayless believes LeBron stands clear of Curry when it comes to their individual contributions across this rivalry.
“I’m going to disqualify this as a one-sided rivalry because I’m all about LeBron in this rivalry. Seriously, head-to-head, they’ve played 22 Finals games against each other – head-to-head. LeBron has averaged 33, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. That’s pretty sensational. Steph has averaged, in 22 games, 25, 6, and 6. The King has been the king of this rivalry. I see that Steph is 3-1 against LeBron in the Finals, but those wins were with Iggy as the MVP, KD as the MVP, and KD as the MVP. To me, it’s a one-sided rivalry because LeBron has outplayed him across the board. Maybe it’s Golden State vs. LeBron, but Steph hasn’t been that influential.”
Bayless rarely takes LeBron’s side on debates and often uses arbitrary arguments to diminish LeBron, so this take from him has shocked many. He isn’t wrong when he talks about the individual difference between the players because LeBron has had to carry a much larger load on his teams than Steph on the Warriors.
There’s a reason James led the Finals in all five statistical categories in their 2016 win, and it’s because the Cavs needed LeBron to do everything to even be competitive.
What Will Happen In 2023?
James and the Lakers are currently 1-0 up on the Warriors after an entertaining game 1 win. Anthony Davis took over and had a sensational two-way performance to give the Lakers the win. LeBron had a bad offensive night but has turned it up in the playoffs as a standout defender to make up for his lack of offensive explosion. He’s not the same LeBron that Steph faced on the Cavs, but a different and more cerebral player.
Curry was struggling for a while in Game 1 before he lit up in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors go on a 14-0 run to tie the game up late. Ultimately, he couldn’t continue converting as the Lakers’ defensive pressure and paint dominance won out and allowed them to steal a win in the Chase Center.
This series has a long way to go and Golden State will be ready to respond with a win tomorrow in Game 2.
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