The NBA is getting its dream matchup in the Western Conference second round with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Golden State Warriors, which means another postseason series between LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
This will be the fifth time the two megastars will meet in the playoffs with James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers and Curry the Warriors to the NBA Finals for four straight years from 2015-18 with the latter winning three of them.
It’s a rivalry that has been the best in the league over the last decade, and both James and Curry are still playing at a very high level even in the latter years of their respective careers.
Ahead of the series, James made it clear that he has a ton of respect for Curry for the work he has put in over the years to get to this point, via NBA reporter Mark Medina:
“He puts in the work. And when you put in the work, nine times out of 10 you’re gonna see results and he’s done that throughout his whole entire career. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steph and everything he’s been able to accomplish not only on the floor but also off the floor too. It’s great to have people like that in this league that are setting an example for the generations to come.”
James and Curry have always seemed to bring out the best in each other while on the floor together, and LeBron explained why he thinks that is:
“Just two of the most competitive players who have ever played this game. We want to etch our name in the history books as much as we can by playing and doing it our own way. So like I said, I got nothing but the greatest aspirations, greatest respect for Steph.”
Both James and Curry are not only known to be two of the best basketball players ever, but also two of the highest-IQ players so this series will certainly be a chess match between the Lakers and Warriors.
Curry is coming off a 50-point performance in Game 7 against the Sacramento Kings, so the Lakers will have their hands full chasing him around screens. Led by James though, the Lakers are a much more physical team than Golden State so that is the advantage they will be looking to exploit.
Thompson calls playing Lakers in postseason a dream come true
This series is also significant for Klay Thompson, of course, after growing up in Southern California watching his dad Mychal play for the Lakers.
After being in the league for 12 years, Thompson called it a ‘dream come true’ to finally be playing the Lakers in the playoffs and is very much looking forward to the series that begins on Tuesday night at Chase Center.
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Los Angeles Lakers(96) - Minnesota Timberwolves(103)