LeBron James and Stephen Curry shared a strong bond as friends and NBA competitors, and their respect for each other is well-documented. However, during the height of their Finals battles, LeBron James admits that he and Curry were not always on the best terms.
“I mean, s—, when you’re in a dogfight and there’s one guy that’s trying to stop you from reaching your goals, you’re going to dislike that person,” James told ESPN. “He disliked me, I disliked him because we were both fighting for what the f— we wanted, and that’s the Larry O’Brien Trophy.”
As the king of longevity, LeBron James has faced countless opponents and some stand out more than others. Of course, Steph Curry is arguably the biggest rival of his career and, despite their friendly relationship, their matchups are still the highlight of the NBA season today.
LeBron James entered the league in 2004 when he was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. For years, James operated with impunity in the East and made a name for himself as the best player in the game. When he went to Miami in 2010, it resulted in his first two championships and four straight Finals appearances.
It wasn’t until the 2014-15 campaign that Curry first entered the scene, and that’s when things changed forever. LeBron, at the height of his powers, and Stephen Curry, at the height of his powers, clashed for the next four years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018; 3-1 for Curry in the NBA Finals) and gave us one of the best rivalries in recent NBA history.
LeBron and Curry were the two faces of the league and their playoff battles gave us some of the most iconic moments of all time. While there was no hate involved, the two superstars had a healthy disdain for each other that fueled their intense showdowns on the court.
James and Curry haven’t played each other in a series since 2023, when the Lakers and Warriors met in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Lakers got the win in that series but, overall, it’s Curry who has won more matchups with a record of 3-2 in the postseason against LeBron.
With all that history, LeBron James and Stephen Curry should be acting like the modern-day Magic and Bird but they have actually gotten closer as the years have gone by.
Today, following a team-up at the Paris Olympic Games, LeBron and Steph have a newfound respect for each other and a deep appreciation for how their careers impacted the sport.
Their friendship is so advanced that there were even talks about linking them together for one last title push as teammates before it’s all said and done. Sadly, the Warriors were unable to bring LeBron to San Francisco but there is still hope that they might eventually pair him with Curry before his retirement.
Only time will tell if we’ll ever see the legends as teammates again but their rivalry will go down as one of the all-time greats. Despite drastically different play styles, they both had a similar drive to win and knew how to uphold their status as role models in the community.
As both players reach the end of their careers, they likely only have a few more battles left and you can bet it will be must-see TV. This season, their next and final matchup isn’t until April 3rd, one of the final games of the regular season.
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