Stephen Curry once said his rivalry with LeBron James was like a “healthy resentment.” During their 15-year careers, they had plenty of disputes, especially during LeBron’s second time with the Cavaliers. However, according to an NBA insider, their fierce rivalry took a new turn after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Recently, on the ‘95.7 The Game’ show, the Athletic’s Sam Amick talked about how LeBron James and Steph’s relationship changed. Amick mentioned that their bond grew during the 2024 Paris Olympics, and now they see each other as good friends, not rivals.
He started to talk about how intense their rivalry used to be. Given LeBron’s huge size, he said, “The world see him as less than and kind of a small, younger guy. That dynamic was real.” But everything changed after the Paris Olympics.
He added, “They were genuinely clicking and having such a great time together—the kind of thing I never thought I’d see.” Amick’s statement is appropriate, as LeBron and Steph have been praising each other ever since they won gold for Team USA at the Olympics.
Stephen Curry on how he started to like LeBron James
With a great 36-point game, Stephen Curry led Team USA to an exciting win over Serbia in the playoffs. He also played great in a 98–87 win over France, when he scored 24 points and had five assists. But his showing wasn’t great at the beginning.
In an interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Curry talked about how he got better after two bad rounds in Paris. Steph recalled, “I was doing an interview, and they were asking me, ‘What’s wrong with your shot? Are you worried about it?’ I said, ‘No, we’re winning, and I know a flurry is coming.’
Then, he credited LeBron James for boosting his confidence. He added, “As soon as I said that, LeBron walks behind me and says, ‘Damn right it is.’ That gave me a lot of confidence. It caught me off guard because, you know, I had to get used to liking that guy after all of our battles. ”
