LeBron James and Steph Curry acknowledge previous tension

LeBron James and Steph Curry are widely considered two of the greatest players of all-time. Along with Kevin Durant, they are considered the top-three players of their generation. The two stars met in four consecutive NBA Finals with Curry’s Golden State Warriors defeating James’ Cleveland Cavaliers three times.

LeBron and Steph will have the opportunity to team up outside of the non-competitive format of the All-Star Game for the first time in their career as both represent Team USA this summer. The future Hall of Famers acknowledged previous tension between them speaking with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, who wrote:

Both Curry and James acknowledged that there was a certain tension between them that has dissipated. “It was like a healthy resentment of somebody that’s standing in your way,” Curry said. “But through it all, like there’s obviously the utmost respect for who he is as a person and a player and like how good he is and the challenge of trying to beat him and trying to solve that problem every year.”

James nodded in agreement when a reporter suggested an apparent rivalry existed between him and Curry years ago, though he said the idea that “they should hate each other” was a false media narrative. James went on to explain why he wanted to make sure it never came to that between him and Curry. “The game of basketball don’t last forever,” James said. “You don’t want to waste the opportunity to be able to have a relationship with someone.” [h/t The Athletic]

James added that fans are used to the off-the-court competitiveness of the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird era. He noted, however, that the former shared a close friendship with Isiah Thomas. The four-time NBA champion also referenced Michael Jordan’s friendship with Charles Barkley. He claimed that he doesn’t want to lose moments with Curry, who has been his long-time on-court rival.

LeBron James and Steph Curry have enjoyed watching each other in practice

May 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) embrace after game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and Steph Curry have had the opportunity to get an up close look at one another’s preparation. Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported that the two have enjoyed watching each other during Team USA practices, writing:

James and Curry have said over the last two weeks that they’ve enjoyed watching each other in practice, gleaning how each transcendental superstar goes about his work and learning more about who they are (or, to be more precise, who they’ve become since those finals battles) off the court. [h/t The Athletic]

Kevin Durant, who played alongside Curry during two of the aforementioned NBA Finals meetings, believes the tension between his former teammate and James has made their relationship stronger. He noted that respect between players rises when they compete against each other at the highest level.

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