Image Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

“He disliked me, I disliked him”- LeBron James gets candid about his storied rivalry with Stephen Curry

James and Curry will play for the same team, Shaq’s OGs, during the NBA All-Star Game 2025.

Image Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry are the two stalwarts in the NBA. While the two have become good friends now, things weren’t always the same.

James and Curry were involved in one of the greatest rivalries in the league in the 2010s, when the former was a part of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two have had engaged in some epic battles and shared some heated moments. Recently, the 21-time NBA All-Star looked back on the bond he and Curry shared and revealed why they didn’t like each other.

The 40-year-old spoke to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and revealed why he and the Warriors’ star wouldn’t see eye to eye. He said that one tends to dislike the person who is their toughest competitor and stops them from achieving what they want.

“I mean, s—, when you’re in a dogfight and there’s one guy that’s trying to stop you from reaching your goals, you’re going to dislike that person,” said LeBron.

He also went on to say that both had only one target; they badly wanted to win the prestigious trophy.

“He disliked me, I disliked him because we were both fighting for what the f— we wanted, and that’s the Larry O’Brien Trophy.”

Notably, Curry’s Warriors and the Cavaliers clashed against each other in four NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, where the Warriors won the trophy thrice and the Cavaliers won it once in 2016.

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The two seemingly found harmony on the court for each other, especially when LeBron moved to the Lakers. Now that the two are approaching the end of their respective careers, the icy relationship between them has thawed. The two also led Team USA to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.

“There’s always respect”- Stephen Curry on infamous rivalry with LeBron James

Stephen Curry, who made his 11th All-Star selection this year, also spoke about the rivalry he shared with James. The Ohio-born revealed that a player just thinks about winning. He also said that while things were very competitive between the two of them, there has always been respect.

“All you think about is just winning. So, yeah, it was petty. It was competitive. Trash talking. All the above. [But] there’s always respect,” said Curry.

The 36-year-old also went on to say that he didn’t like James, but not because that he isn’t great, but because he himself didn’t want to go against the player in the #23 jersey.

“I didn’t like the player. The person’s always great. You just hate when he has a jersey on wearing No. 23,” Curry concluded.

Notably, both Curry and James have played for the same team during the 2021, 2022 and 2024 NBA All-Star Games.

It will be the fifth occasion they will play for the same team as they feature in the Shaq’s OGs for the NBA All-Star Game 2025.

LeBron James

NBA All-Star 2025

Stephen Curry

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.