In most cases throughout his 18-year NBA career, LeBron James did not want to see Stephen Curry to succeed. That’s because James and Curry played against each other in four consecutive NBA Finals.
Even if the same logic applies when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on Wednesday, James argued that Curry should bring home at least some hardware this season.
“We’re playing versus, in my opinion, the MVP of our league this year in Steph,” James said. “We got to be prepared for everything they have. They have championship DNA.”
After all, Curry, forward Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr went up against James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. After the Warriors won in 2015, James helped the Cavs the following year to become the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit. That partly prompted the Warriors to acquire Kevin Durant, who then helped the Warriors win consecutive titles while winning two Finals MVP awards.
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The Warriors look dramatically different this season, however. They are one year removed from two key departures (Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala). All-Star guard Klay Thompson also has been sidelined for consecutive seasons, because he tore the ACL in his left knee in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against Toronto before tearing his right Achilles tendon in a pick-up game on the day of the 2020 NBA Draft.
“Everybody counted him out this year,” James said of Curry. “Everybody saying, ‘Now that Klay is hurt, can Steph lead a team on his own? What is he going to do? Can he carry a team on his own? Can he carry a team into the postseason? Can he keep the team afloat?’ He’s done that and more.”
Curry finished the 2020-21 season with the league’s scoring title for the second time in his career. After averaging 31.8 points per game at 33 years old, Curry became the oldest scoring champion since a 34-year-old Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring during the 1997-98 season (28.7 points per game). Curry also exceeded his scoring output compared to his MVP seasons in 2014-15 (23.8 points) and 2015-16 (30.1), while also leading the league in 3-pointers (328).
Other NBA players might receive stronger regular-season consideration because of their respective teams’ superior records, including Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul. The Suns (51-21) and Nuggets (47-25) are ranked second and third in the Western Conference, respectively. The Sixers (49-23) have the Eastern Conference’s best record. And the Warriors (39-33) are ranked eight in the Western Conference behind the Lakers (42-30).
“If Steph is not on Golden State’s team, then what are we looking at?” James said. “We get caught up in the records sometimes and who has the best record as opposed to who had the best season that year. Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year.”
James found parallels to when Russell Westbrook won the 2017 NBA regular-season MVP despite the Oklahoma City Thunder finishing No. 6 in the West (47-35). But Westbrook received the trophy because he broke Oscar Robertson’s triple-double record in a single season (81-79). As for Curry? He surpassed Jordan and Kobe Bryant last month for most 40-point games in a month at 33 years or older (five), as well as James Harden for the NBA’s record for most 3’s in a month (96). Still, only Michael Jordan (1995-96) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1979-80) won the NBA regular-season MVP award at 33 years old.
“Obviously, I don’t think Steph is going to get it because that’s another conversation in my eyes,” James said. “He’s played the best basketball year-round.”
Curry respectfully might disagree with how James considers him the NBA regular-season MVP. Consider what Curry told his teammates after finishing with 46 points in Sunday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
“No matter what anybody says, I appreciate what they’ve all brought to this season,” Curry said. “It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t a steady climb at all even to get to this spot. But I appreciate everybody out there committing to how we play. That’s really unlocked what I do best and try to help myself and try to help out everybody else.”
Nonetheless, Curry might appreciate the compliment. After all, Kerr called Curry and James “two of the greatest players of all time.”
“You expect greatness. That’s the part I’ve enjoyed so much about playing in Finals against him and his Cleveland teams and those games that matter,” Curry said. “It brings out another level of intensity and excitement and a sense of urgency about it because you know how good you have to play in order to win games like that.”
The Lakers expect the same thing in their play-in game against Golden State largely because of Curry.
“He’s going to be the head of the snake,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said of Curry. “If we can limit his 3-point attempts and free-throw attempts, then we have a high chance of winning. Their role players, their guys are playing great. Those guys are rolling and playing team basketball. We’re not going into this game thinking it’s going to be easy.”
Never has James thought of such a thing when he faced Curry. He called it “pretty unique and pretty cool” that they faced off in four NBA Finals in what significantly shaped James’ NBA career. James might have likened his whole 18-year NBA career to the “’Godfather’ trilogy” considering his history with other star players. He had memorable regular-season matchups against former Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He faced former Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett twice in the NBA playoffs (2008 and 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals). He competed against the San Antonio Spurs three times in the NBA Finals (2007, 2013-2014).
But James’ history with Curry goes beyond the NBA Finals. James publicly supported Curry after he became vocal about the Warriors’ refusal to visit the White House to celebrate their 2018 NBA title because of former president Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric. James also selected Curry for this season’s All-Star game, which started with Curry mimicking James’ chalk-toss.
Said James: “It’s always been a level of respect that’s beyond the game of basketball, the way I feel for Steph.”
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