Steph vs LeBron: The greatest basketball rivalry of this generation

They meet again
Game one
Personal performances
'Utmost respect'
Last chance?
Player rivalries
Back through the archives
NBA Finals
2015 Finals
Warriors too much for LeBron
Curry the MVP
Historic win
Leaving it all on the floor
Warriors add Durant
Two more finals meetings
Who’s got the better stat line?
‘That’s the rivalry’
They meet again

The basketball world's eyes lit up when we found out LeBron James and Steph Curry meet again in the NBA Playoffs, with James' Lakers facing Curry's Warriors in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Game one

James and The Lakers took home a hard-fought road victory in game one, winning the contest 117-112.

Personal performances

James had a productive offensive night, producing 22 points and 11 assists, while Curry dropped off from his historic 50-point game, giving The Warriors 27 points and six assists.

'Utmost respect'

According to yahoo.com, James spoke to the media before game one: "I've got 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."

Last chance?

Despite the rivalry they have created over the years, both know they aren't getting any younger, so games and series like these add a little more importance to them personally.

Player rivalries

Player rivalries play a major part in NBA history, with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson having the most prominent one in the 80s. However, Lebron and Steph may even give that one a run for its money.

Back through the archives

Let's look at how LeBron James versus Steph Curry became the greatest NBA rivalry of this generation.

NBA Finals

The rivalry started in 2015, when LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning in Miami, facing up against Curry and his new-look Golden State team.

2015 Finals

Their first matchup in the NBA Finals was in 2015, with Golden State winning the title in six games after the Cleveland Cavaliers went 2-1 up in the series.

Warriors too much for LeBron

James averaged a monster 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, but it wasn't enough for him to see past MVP Curry and The Warriors.

Curry the MVP

In 2016, Steph Curry was voted the first-ever unanimous MVP for the season, helping the Warriors to the best record in league history with 73 wins and nine losses.

Historic win

The season and series looked to be over when LeBron and Cleveland went 3-1 down in the NBA Finals to The Warriors. However, James and his Cleveland team became the first team in NBA history to recover a 3-1 deficit in the finals.

Leaving it all on the floor

Curry had a below-par finals, averaging 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists. On the other hand, James willed his team to victory, averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.

Warriors add Durant

After the loss, Golden State added superstar Kevin Durant to their ranks, creating the most incredible NBA roster assembled, including Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Durant.

Two more finals meetings

Cleveland and James would meet Curry and The Warriors two more times in the NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018. With Durant as the primary game-changer, Golden State won 4-1 in 2017 and 4-0 in 2018.

Who’s got the better stat line?

Despite Steph Curry winning three of the four matchups in the NBA Finals, James has a better head-to-head in stats, averaging 33/12/9 in 22 games to Curry's 25/6/6.

‘That’s the rivalry’

After speaking on LeBron's eight finals trips in a row and Curry's four championships, Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, "That's the rivalry. Rivalry of the generations, particularly those two players. It's going to be another fun battle," according to fadeawayworld.net.

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