No matter what anyone says, LeBron James and Stephen Curry remain the NBA’s premier attractions. The two stalwarts have set the standard for longevity, especially James, who will soon be entering his 24th season. Meanwhile, Curry is also not very far from entering his 40s.
Interestingly, LeBron has played a pivotal role in Steph’s basketball journey since his debut in 2009. Around that time, LBJ was just fresh off his first MVP season, showing strong signs of an all-time great in the making. On the other end, Chef, who was in his rookie year, wasn’t happy with how things were shaping up for him.
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“The environment, the corporate culture on down, was bad,”mentioned Curry, with the Warriors having not made the playoffs in 12 years. Not to mention, this was before Joe Lacob took over ownership in 2010.
Seeing Curry rather dejected, James advised him to focus on what was within his power and put in the work regardless of the results.
“My rookie year, LeBron (James) pulled me aside after our first game against each other and said, ‘All you need to worry about right now is what you’re doing on a daily basis. What habits will set you up for success?'” revealed the two-time Warriors MVP when appearing as a speaker at the Stanford GSB View From The Top event in 2020.
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Standing in the way of each other
Guiding Curry in his initial days in the league, James didn’t realize he was grooming one of his biggest adversaries, as the Warriors guard would go on to become a game-changer in the NBA, changing the landscape of basketball with his 3-point shooting.
Making his first Finals appearance in 2015, Steph had none other than the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers at the other end. Clinching his first-ever championship that year, the Warriors superstar would face James and the Cavs in four consecutive NBA Finals.
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In the end, Curry and Co. wound up with a 3-1 edge. Although they had their fair share of heated moments, the two superstars also showed a high mutual respect. Nevertheless, as the years passed, the two developed a strong bond, which was certainly evident when they joined forces on Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Great dude, great friend and great competitor
James and Curry have no doubt had interesting dynamics through the years, something the Davidson product attested to in a 2023 interview with Sports Illustrated, where he opened up about his bond with Bron, not denying the complexities around it.
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“Because you go from you know, me playing in the tournament, him (James) coming to watch me coming in as a young rookie in the league, and him giving me advice on how to you know get through some of the early struggles that I was going to go through as a player to you know the four finals appearances in a row playing against each other … Five-six years later we’re playing in the playoffs again,”stated No. 30.
Be it rivals or teammates, both LeBron and Steph have been a treat to watch through the years, inspiring multiple generations with their individual brilliance, and not to say that when it’s all said and done, the game will miss them.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.