LeBron James and Stephen Curry have the NBA's best rivalry, and they just added another chapter

Scott DavisMay 21, 2021, 20:27 IST

Stephen Curry and LeBron James.Jae C. Hong/AP Images

LeBron James and Stephen Curry have a friendly rivalry that captivates the NBA world.
James and Curry became friends in 2008 and were close for several years.
Multiple Finals series and MVP races caused friction, but they seem to be on good terms again.

Over the last decade, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have formed the NBA's most entertaining rivalry.

While jockeying for the title of best player alive, numerous Finals battles have pitted the game's two biggest stars against one another often.

While the two are friendly off the court, they undoubtedly have a burning desire to beat the other.

They added another chapter to their rivalry on Wednesday when the Lakers beat the Warriors in the play-in tournament to make the playoffs. James hit the dagger three-pointer over Curry.

Here's how the two superstars' friendship and rivalry have evolved over the years.

James and Curry share a somewhat unique bond: they were both born in Akron, Ohio.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

James witnessed Curry's greatness early: at the 2008 NCAA Tournament, where Curry led an underdog Davidson team past Wisconsin.

James also saw Curry in-person again that fall, when Curry led Davidson past North Carolina State, hitting the game-winning three along the way.

From 2009 (Curry's draft year) to 2014, Curry and James seemed like friends. Curry said in 2009 that he had been to James' house to hang out and watch games and movies.

Mark Duncan/AP Images

However, things started to change in the 2014-15 season. James had left the Miami Heat to return to the Cavs, building the league's next super-team. However, the Warriors also broke out, going 67-15, with Curry winning MVP and revolutionizing the game.

Ben Margot/AP Images

However, things started to change in the 2014-15 season. James had left the Miami Heat to return to the Cavs, building the league's next super-team. However, the Warriors also broke out, going 67-15, with Curry winning MVP and revolutionizing the game.

The Warriors and Cavs met in the 2015 Finals, with the Warriors winning the series in six games over the short-handed Cavaliers.

Paul Sancya/AP

The rivalry heated up the next season. When the Warriors were preparing to visit the Cavs, Curry said he hoped the visitor's locker room still smelled like champagne (from the Warriors' championship celebration in Cleveland).

Jason Miller/Getty

The rivalry heated up the next season. When the Warriors were preparing to visit the Cavs, Curry said he hoped the visitor's locker room still smelled like champagne (from the Warriors' championship celebration in Cleveland).

Things boiled over in the 2016 Finals. With the Warriors leading 3-1, Draymond Green was suspended for a flagrant foul on James, opening the window for the Cavs to make a comeback.

Ron Schwane/AP

Things boiled over in the 2016 Finals. With the Warriors leading 3-1, Draymond Green was suspended for a flagrant foul on James, opening the window for the Cavs to make a comeback.

In Game 6, Curry and James butted heads. With the Cavs roaring back in the series, James blocked a layup attempt by Curry, then trash-talked him.

Moments later, Curry lost his cool after being whistled for fouling James. Curry argued the call, threw his mouthguard into the stands, and was ejected.

The ensuing Game 7 would go down in history: James had a chase-down block, Kyrie Irving hit the dagger 3 over Curry, and Kevin Love stopped Curry on the game-tying shot. The Cavs came back to win the championship.

James appeared to troll the Warriors after winning the championship by wearing an "Ultimate Warrior" t-shirt.

AP Photo/Tony Dejak

The Cavs trolled the Warriors further at a Halloween party that year with cookies that showed tombstones with the Warriors' names.

The Cavs' celebrations didn't last too long: the Warriors signed Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. They'd go on to handily win the next two Finals over the Cavs.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images

In the summer of 2017, a video appeared to show Curry and Irving dancing at a wedding, mocking a workout video James had posted weeks earlier.

Rumors of James and Curry's fractured relationship started to spread. The Athletic's Marcus Thompson, author of the book "Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry," said Curry had been thrown off by James' behavior toward him.

Ron Schwane/AP

Rumors of James and Curry's fractured relationship started to spread. The Athletic's Marcus Thompson, author of the book "Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry," said Curry had been thrown off by James' behavior toward him.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons and ESPN's Brian Windhorst also said on a podcast in 2019 that the friction between Curry and James was real, largely due to Curry's rapid ascension and what James deemed to be soft media coverage.

Ben Margot/AP Images

The Ringer's Bill Simmons and ESPN's Brian Windhorst also said on a podcast in 2019 that the friction between Curry and James was real, largely due to Curry's rapid ascension and what James deemed to be soft media coverage.

The two butted heads again during Game 1 of the 2018 Finals.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Somewhere along the lines, however, things thawed. Perhaps because the two teams didn't meet each other in high-stakes matchups for two years.

Harry How/Getty Images

James was a captain for the 2021 All-Star Game and selected Curry to his team. The two seemed to have fun playing on the same team for a weekend.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

James even tweeted about it, saying it was "overdue."

Marcus Thompson, who had previously reported on the strains in the relationship, said the friendliness between Curry and James at the All-Star Game ran counter to their recent interactions.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Marcus Thompson, who had previously reported on the strains in the relationship, said the friendliness between Curry and James at the All-Star Game ran counter to their recent interactions.

Their seemingly renewed friendship doesn't mean they have stopped competing on the court. Wednesday's play-in tournament saw the two stars going back and forth before James hit a dagger three-pointer in Curry's face.

James and Curry spoke after the game, exchanging pleasantries, though Curry seemed in disbelief that James had hit the shot, forcing the Warriors to play another game to clinch a playoff spot.

Some believe that James may be angling to team up with Curry, becoming a free agent in 2022.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

In the meantime, they remain the two biggest draws in the sport: the play-in game drew 5.6 million viewers, by far ESPN's biggest game this season.

Jae C. Hong/AP Images

James and Curry's friendship and rivalry have been compared to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. If the Warriors can reload their roster next season, it's possible we can get another James-Curry series down the line.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

James and Curry's friendship and rivalry have been compared to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. If the Warriors can reload their roster next season, it's possible we can get another James-Curry series down the line.

Now, check out our ranking of the best players in the NBA...

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LeBron James and Stephen Curry have the NBA's best rivalry, and they just added another chapter

James and Curry share a somewhat unique bond: they were both born in Akron, Ohio.

James witnessed Curry's greatness early: at the 2008 NCAA Tournament, where Curry led an underdog Davidson team past Wisconsin.

James also saw Curry in-person again that fall, when Curry led Davidson past North Carolina State, hitting the game-winning three along the way.

From 2009 (Curry's draft year) to 2014, Curry and James seemed like friends. Curry said in 2009 that he had been to James' house to hang out and watch games and movies.

However, things started to change in the 2014-15 season. James had left the Miami Heat to return to the Cavs, building the league's next super-team. However, the Warriors also broke out, going 67-15, with Curry winning MVP and revolutionizing the game.

The Warriors and Cavs met in the 2015 Finals, with the Warriors winning the series in six games over the short-handed Cavaliers.

The rivalry heated up the next season. When the Warriors were preparing to visit the Cavs, Curry said he hoped the visitor's locker room still smelled like champagne (from the Warriors' championship celebration in Cleveland).

Things boiled over in the 2016 Finals. With the Warriors leading 3-1, Draymond Green was suspended for a flagrant foul on James, opening the window for the Cavs to make a comeback.

In Game 6, Curry and James butted heads. With the Cavs roaring back in the series, James blocked a layup attempt by Curry, then trash-talked him.

Moments later, Curry lost his cool after being whistled for fouling James. Curry argued the call, threw his mouthguard into the stands, and was ejected.

The ensuing Game 7 would go down in history: James had a chase-down block, Kyrie Irving hit the dagger 3 over Curry, and Kevin Love stopped Curry on the game-tying shot. The Cavs came back to win the championship.

James appeared to troll the Warriors after winning the championship by wearing an "Ultimate Warrior" t-shirt.

The Cavs trolled the Warriors further at a Halloween party that year with cookies that showed tombstones with the Warriors' names.

The Cavs' celebrations didn't last too long: the Warriors signed Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. They'd go on to handily win the next two Finals over the Cavs.

In the summer of 2017, a video appeared to show Curry and Irving dancing at a wedding, mocking a workout video James had posted weeks earlier.

Rumors of James and Curry's fractured relationship started to spread. The Athletic's Marcus Thompson, author of the book "Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry," said Curry had been thrown off by James' behavior toward him.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons and ESPN's Brian Windhorst also said on a podcast in 2019 that the friction between Curry and James was real, largely due to Curry's rapid ascension and what James deemed to be soft media coverage.

The two butted heads again during Game 1 of the 2018 Finals.

Somewhere along the lines, however, things thawed. Perhaps because the two teams didn't meet each other in high-stakes matchups for two years.

James was a captain for the 2021 All-Star Game and selected Curry to his team. The two seemed to have fun playing on the same team for a weekend.

James even tweeted about it, saying it was "overdue."

Marcus Thompson, who had previously reported on the strains in the relationship, said the friendliness between Curry and James at the All-Star Game ran counter to their recent interactions.

Their seemingly renewed friendship doesn't mean they have stopped competing on the court. Wednesday's play-in tournament saw the two stars going back and forth before James hit a dagger three-pointer in Curry's face.

James and Curry spoke after the game, exchanging pleasantries, though Curry seemed in disbelief that James had hit the shot, forcing the Warriors to play another game to clinch a playoff spot.

Some believe that James may be angling to team up with Curry, becoming a free agent in 2022.

In the meantime, they remain the two biggest draws in the sport: the play-in game drew 5.6 million viewers, by far ESPN's biggest game this season.

James and Curry's friendship and rivalry have been compared to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. If the Warriors can reload their roster next season, it's possible we can get another James-Curry series down the line.

Now, check out our ranking of the best players in the NBA...