No rivalry defined the 2010s more than the one between Steph Curry and LeBron James. At a time when “The King” had a solid grip on the throne, Curry came out of nowhere, barged into the picture, and shook things up. And so began a fierce rivalry that began in the 2015 NBA Finals, extended to the 2018 NBA Finals, and exists to this very day.
In an interview with Malika Andrews on “NBA Today,” Curry reflected on how his relationship with LeBron has evolved, noting that it wasn’t always as close and cordial as it is now.
A petty, bitter rivalry
While players of today’s generation are closer with one another than in the 1980s and 90s, when opponents truly hated one another’s guts, the dynamic when these competitors step on the hardcourt remains one of sheer competitiveness. The same held true for the “Chef” and LeBron when they vied for the title of top dog in the 2010s.
As Steph snatched the NBA title in 2015, LeBron retaliated in 2016. He spoiled the Warriors’ historic 73-9 regular season by making history of his own, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to an improbable comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the finals to win the crown. On and off the court, there were a lot of zingers, and there was no shortage of passive-aggressive comments exchanged.
“It’s a fun battle because of the longevity of how long we’ve been doing this,” Curry said. “There’s more appreciation and respect than probably back in the day because there was a lot of pettiness and resentment. The rivalry was real.”
As Curry’s Dubs and LeBron’s Lakers will face off on Christmas Day, Steph says that even though he and James are more amiable these days, there won’t be a shortage of competitive fervor between the two of them; things will get feisty as the two teams try to better their positions in the loaded Western Conference.
“You think about it more the deeper you get into your career because you want to cherish every moment that you have. But you’re still in that competitive mode. Even though there’s respect, there’s still that appropriate fear—like, I bring the best out of him, and he brings the best out of me. And I’m sure Christmas Day, hopefully, will be another episode of it,” Curry stated.
It was like “rap beef”
LeBron also spoke of his rivalry with Steph on “The NBA OGs.” The iconic 6’9″ forward likened it to a “rap beef,” with Curry representing the West and him representing the East.
“Those four straight years, Cleveland vs. Golden State, it was literally like East Coast vs. West Coast,” James shared. “It was like a rap beef. Golden State owned the West Coast, and the Cavs owned the East Coast; it was like a rap beef.”
The Warriors and Cavaliers each faced their own challenges throughout the playoffs. Yet, the outcome remained the same: Golden State and Cleveland met in the Finals. While the 2015 and 2016 matchups delivered thrilling competition, the following two were decidedly one-sided. With Kevin Durant joining forces with Curry, the Dubs dominated, leaving little doubt about the outcome.
