LeBron James, Steph Curry Reflect on Epic NBA Rivalry After Lakers’ Win vs. Warriors | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

It may be the defining rivalry of the modern era.

LeBron James vs. Steph Curry. The two NBA legends have faced off against each other in nearly every conceivable way on an NBA floor. This of course includes the four NBA Finals matchups against each other, but now extends to in-Conference playoff matchups and even tight regular season matchups that come more frequently as the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers battle for positioning within the Pacific Division as well as the Western Conference as a whole.

The storybook rivalry earned another chapter Saturday night, with James’ Lakers winning 145-144 in double overtime.

James scored a triple-double in the game, with 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists. He reflected on the rivalry as a whole following the game and expressed his appreciation for Curry.

“It’s been a treat to go against one of the greatest to ever play this game,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “For us to continue to push each other at the state of our careers, you don’t take it for granted because you don’t know how many times you’re actually going to get the moment to actually be on the same floor with such a talent.”

Curry had quite the game himself, leading all scorers with 46 points while also adding seven assists and three rebounds. He spoke postgame about the consistent intensity that comes in games against James but also appreciated how special it is to have a challenger to that caliber this deep into an NBA career.

“Every year that we get to do this and go back and forth, the battles — the Finals runs, the playoff battles last year — after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laugh of, I can’t imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, [with] him in Season 21 and me in Year 15,” Curry said, per McMenamin. “You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect of what it takes to keep doing what you’re doing at this level. Only a few people know how hard it is. I’m happy to be in that group.”

The two met in the postseason in 2023-24, with the Lakers taking the series in six games. It would take quite a bit for a repeat of this to happen this season, as the Lakers are currently in ninth place in the Conference with a 24-23 record while Golden State is outside the play-in tournament at 19-24.

Still, epic battles like Saturday night show that the intensity on the floor is still there when James and Curry are set to battle.