NBA Rumors: Real Tension Between LeBron and Steph Curry over ‘Best in the World’ Debate | Latest News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Rumors

LeBron James and Stephen Curry seemed like the better of mates when profitable a gold medal for Team USA throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, however that reportedly wasn't all the time the case.

“We were at all those Finals where I don't care what LeBron says now,” Sam Amick of The Athletic mentioned throughout a dialogue with insider Tim Kawakami (8:20 mark). “It's not a matter of them having animosity toward one another, but they were rivals. Their camps didn't always love the way that the other player was talked about. LeBron's people did not love it when people started calling Steph the best player in the world. There was a tension that was real.”

Curry's Golden State Warriors and James' Cleveland Cavaliers confronted one another in 4 consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 via 2018 throughout one among the most memorable stretches in NBA historical past.

While Curry took house three of the 4 Larry O'Brien Trophies from these showdowns, Cleveland defeated the record-setting 73-win Warriors throughout the 2016 Finals in massive half due to James' particular person brilliance.

But Curry earned some bragging rights with back-to-back MVPs in 2014-15 and 2015-16 as he cemented himself as the finest shooter in NBA historical past.

Ultimately, they're each future Hall of Famers and NBA legends who helped outline a technology. They each have 4 championships and will likely be remembered as all-time greats, though it's James and not Curry who's in GOAT discussions and arguments involving Michael Jordan.

They at the moment are mates who're in the latter portion of their careers, and James even opened up about their relationship.

“LeBron versus Steph, they should never smile against each other on the court,” the King mentioned, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “They should hate each other. We get it. We understand that a lot of y'all maybe grew up in a (Larry) Bird-Magic (Johnson) era and they shouldn't like each other, but I'm also old enough to know that Isiah (Thomas) and Magic hugged each and kissed each other on the floor too because it was just mutual respect. You know what I'm saying?

“I'm additionally sufficiently old to know that they are saying Michael (Jordan) by no means talked to any of his opponents, however I'm additionally good sufficient to know that him and Charles (Barkley) had numerous conversations throughout the '93 Finals and additionally performed golf as soon as towards one another.”

The on-court rivalry is unquestionably nonetheless there and reached a peak throughout the stretch of NBA Finals showdowns, however the friendship was clear throughout the Olympics. And a gold medal most likely solely strengthened it.