LeBron James and Steph Curry, will officially face off in the playoffs for the first time in their careers when the Lakers play the Warriors in the second round.
They have faced off four times in the NBA Finals and once in the 2021 play-in, but battling it out this early in the postseason is new territory.
Their resumes are different, yet similar. LeBron has four NBA championships, is a four-time Finals MVP and is the most prolific scorer in NBA history.
Curry also has four championships, one Finals MVP, is a two-time league MVP and the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made.
“Just two of the most competitive players that have ever played this game,” James said of him and Curry. “And we want to etch our names in the history books as much as we can. But playing and doing it our own way.”
LeBron explained how much respect he has for his opponent at Lakers practice on Monday.
“[Curry] puts in the work,” James said. “And when you put in the work, nine times out of 10 you’re going to see the results. And he’s done that throughout his whole, entire career. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steph and everything he’s been able to accomplish, not only on the floor but also off the floor, too. It’s just great to have people like that in this league to set an example for the generation to come.”
Curry dropped a 50-piece against the Kings in Game 7 on Sunday to propel his team to the second round – which was the most points ever scored by an NBA player in a Game 7.
“You’ve seen some of the shots, the routine shots, that Steph was making in Game 7 that everybody was going crazy after,” James said. “That’s just Steph. When you’re that great, you make tough shots like that. So, we’ve got to be locked in and not hurt ourselves.”
On the other side, Curry is excited about the match-up against LeBron and is also grateful to still be in the fight.
Golden State vs. Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference semifinals series starts on Tuesday, May 2 at 7:00PM PDT.