LeBron James and Stephen Curry were the defining rivals of the 2010s, with Curry lifting three championships at LeBron’s expense while LeBron lifted arguably the most famous championship in modern history at Curry’s expense. Their rivalry peaked in 2018 during their fourth Finals matchup, with leaked audio showing how aggressively LeBron trash-talked Curry after blocking a floater.
LeBron James: “Get that sh*t out of here… do that somewhere else”
Stephen Curry: “You couldn’t give me that?”
LeBron James: “Get the f*ck out of my face”
James would get swept in the 2018 Finals, not having the firepower on his own roster to beat the juggernaut Warriors. James averaged 34.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 10.0 assists in the series, with many claiming he should have won Finals MVP despite being swept. Curry averaged 27.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, though the Finals MVP went to Kevin Durant.
James and Curry were supposed to have one of the best individual rivalries of the modern era after the 2016 Finals, with both players having won a championship at the expense of the other. Unfortunately, the Warriors signed Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason, which rendered anything LeBron and the Cavs did useless, losing the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals.
By 2018, the frustration with the matchup was at an all-time high for LeBron, as there was no way for him to overcome that franchise. Kyrie Irving had also left the franchise by 2018, meaning James was trying to single-handedly tear Golden State down. While he didn’t get the satisfaction of a Finals win in that series, his emotions came flooding out on this play with Curry.
The Rivalry Has Become A Friendship
LeBron and Curry’s rivalry seemed to die down almost instantly after LeBron left the Cavaliers and joined the Lakers in 2018. James even picked up a win against the Warriors with Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and DeMarcus Cousins on Christmas Day in 2018, but the equations for both teams would change soon after.
James’ got hurt in the 2018-19 season, with the young Lakers missing the Playoffs due to LeBron’s time off. The Warriors made another Finals run but major injuries to Klay and Durant meant the franchise would lose in the Finals before Durant would leave in the summer to join the Brooklyn Nets in a LeBron-less East.
As the Lakers romped to a title in 2020, Curry’s Warriors were the worst team in the West due to the various injuries that had hurt the franchise. Their return in 2021 ended with James leading the Lakers to a Play-In Tournament win over the Warriors, as Curry missed the Playoffs once again.
Curry got the last laugh in 2022, leading the Warriors to a title and his first Finals MVP as LeBron and the Lakers finished as the No. 11 seed and missed the postseason altogether. By this point, the pair had multiple friendly encounters on the court and spoke glowingly about each other in the media.
LeBron did get his revenge in the 2023 Playoffs, leading the Lakers to become the first West team to beat the Warriors in a Playoff series since 2014. Now, both James and Curry are non-contenders who hope to be competitive, which has improved their relationship. James has even openly said that Curry is his dream teammate.
He’ll be getting his wish, as James and Curry will be teaming up for the first time in their careers at the 2024 Olympics.
