Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry have had their fair share of postseason battles throughout their respective careers, both when the former was on the Cleveland Cavaliers and then this past season in the Western Conference.
The Cavaliers came back down 3-1 in 2016 to win the franchise’s first championship and then James and the Lakers defeated the defending champion Warriors this postseason in six games. On the other hand, Curry’s Warriors beat James’ Cavaliers three times in the NBA Finals in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Both players are seen in high regard for their respective positions and have had memorable performances against one another every time they meet.
Despite the countless interactions on the court and facing off in games with such magnitude, the two All-NBA talents have a positive relationship due to their mutual respect. When Curry was asked about his relationship with James though, he described it as complex, via Robin Lundberg of Sports Illustrated:
“It’s complex because you go from playing the [NCAA] tournament, with [James] coming to watch, to me coming in as a young rookie in the league and him giving me advice on how to get through some of the early struggles that I was gonna go through as a player. To the four [NBA] Finals appearances in a row, playing against each other, to even last year playing in the playoffs again. He’s a great dude, great friend, great competitor. It’s amazing to go back and look at where it all started.”
It is interesting to get a look of how the relationship began, where it is now and how much respect these two have for one another. Whenever these two match up, it is must-see TV for NBA fans. The six-game series between the Warriors and Lakers had averaged 7.8 million viewers to make it the most-watched semifinal series since 1996.
Now both Curry and James are in the latter stages of their careers, but both are still playing at extraordinary levels. The two teams will have their eyes set on winning a championship this season, which could lead to another battle.
James and Curry now share eight combined NBA championships, four apiece, and have left their imprints on the game of basketball. While as fans it is easy to assume they have malice against one another through their multiple Finals matchups, it is refreshing to see the bond that these two greats share.
LeBron James attends Lionel Messi’s MLS debut
Another relationship we recently saw in full effect was James at Lionel Messi’s MLS debut with Inter Miami. The Lakers forward took to social media to welcome Messi and got to witness his first goal, which was a game-winner.
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