Curry vs LeBron: a respectful rivalry

The Los Angeles Lakers won Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors, with five Lakers hitting double-digits to lead to the 117-112 win. The Lakers now hold a 1-0 lead in the series as they head into Game 2 at Chase Center.

LeBron vs Curry

One of the biggest storylines heading into this series has been the rivalry between LeBron James and Steph Curry. It’s become a rivalry simply due to how good these two players are and how often they’ve met in the finals. Between 2015 and 2018, when LeBron was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he and Curry met four times in a row in the playoffs. As far as games and series won in the playoffs, Curry holds the edge (15-7, 3-1). But LeBron has “nothing but the utmost respect” for Curry.

“He puts in the work. If you put in the work, nine times out of ten, you’re gonna see results, and he’s done that throughout his whole entire career,” said LeBron. “It’s great to have people like that in this league, that set an example for generations to come.”

“You’ve seen some of those routine shots Steph was making in Game 7, and everybody was going crazy,” LeBron continued gushing. “That’s just Steph. When you’re that great, you make tough shots like that.”

In Game 1, LeBron put up 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points and became the first player in NBA history to make 600 playoff three-pointers.

“We’re two of the most competitive players to ever play this game,” said LeBron. “We wanna etch our names in the history books as much as we can, playing in our own way.”

Lakers vs Warriors Western Conference Semifinals remaining schedule