As two of the best and most prominent players in the modern generation of basketball, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are often viewed as being on two different sides.
They each have different playstyles, both appeal to separate audiences, and have often competed against each other on the world’s biggest stage.
But LeBron doesn’t see Steph as his enemy. Rather, “the King” has always held a high level of respect for the man and even admitted his desire to play alongside him.
Here’s what he said in this week’s episode of ‘The Shop’:
“In today’s game, Steph Curry. Steph Curry’s the one that I want to play with, for sure… I love everything about that guy. When he gets out of his car, you better guard him right from the moment he pulls up to the arena. As soon as he gets out of his car, you better guard his a**. You might wanna guard him when he gets out of bed. He’s serious.”
Steph Curry isn’t just a great scorer. His unprecedented shooting ability has an impact offensively that is hard to quantify. He can turn the tide of a game in just a few shots, opens up the floor for his teammates, and presents an overwhelming threat to opponents.
As a guy who played four Finals against him, James knows this more than anyone, and it’s no surprise he has a special appreciation for it.
“This guy is from a different planet,” LeBron said after Curry’s record-breaking performance in the All-Star game. “He literally has an automatic sniper connected to his arm. When he lets it go, not only himself, but everybody on the floor, in the stands, on TV, on your phones, whatever you’re watching it on, you think it’s going in every time.”
Curry, 34, hasn’t lost a step since his MVP days a few years back. In 64 games this season, he’s averaging 25.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game on 43% shooting. The Warriors are 3rd in the West with a 50-29 record overall.
True, it has been a while now since LeBron and Steph have competed in the Finals, and nobody knows if they’ll ever meet again. But, at the very least, the numerous matchups produced an incredible amount of awe and respect between the pair that will never wash away — and it’s fun to imagine them tearing up the league together.
