LeBron James says the Los Angeles Lakers can do no wrong when they face off against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in their blockbuster playoff series opener on Tuesday. James and Curry meet in a playoff series for the first time in five years when the Lakers and Warriors meet in San Francisco on Tuesday in game one of the Western Conference semifinals. This is the latest heavyweight showdown between the two greatest basketball players in history, who faced each other in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years between 2015-2018.
The 38-year-old James is leading a Lakers team that has returned to form at the right time after struggling to muscle their way into the playoffs, crushing the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 last Friday to complete a series sweep.
Curry, meanwhile, produced a 50-point masterpiece Sunday as the defending NBA champions snagged a 4-3 series victory over the Kings in Sacramento.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, James spoke of his admiration for Curry as the two friendly rivals prepare to battle it out one more time.
“Nothing but the utmost respect for Steph and what he’s been able to do — not just on the floor, but off the floor,” James said.
“It’s great to have guys like that in this league setting an example for the next generation.”
James already warned his Lakers teammates that they need to “lock in” against a ruthless Warriors team that has shown time and time again that they will punish mistakes.
“They’re right up there with that great San Antonio Spurs team. If you make a mistake, they make you pay,” James said.
“It’s too easy. So we’ve got to hang in there,” James added, noting Curry was able to score so freely Sunday despite being closely marked throughout.
“They’re going to do a great job of scoring, even when you’ve got a body on top of them,” James said.
– ‘going to be epic’ –
“When you see Steph making some routine shots in Game Seven and everybody going crazy — but that’s just Steph. When you’re great, you make those tough shots. So we’ve got to hang in there and not hurt ourselves.”
James could face a physical defensive clash with the Warriors’ Draymond Green.
Green, infamously suspended during the 2016 NBA Finals for groining James, is enjoying another feud with the four-time NBA champion.
“It’s going to be epic,” Green said after Sunday’s win in Sacramento. “You got Steph, you got Bronn to do it again.”
Green said the longevity of James and the Warriors, like Curry, Klay Thompson and himself, is a testament to their enduring competitiveness.
“Here we are meeting in a playoff series for the first time in eight years and still playing at that level,” Green said.
“It’s special. It says a lot about who you are as a professional and how seriously you take it. How you appreciate this game.
“You’re talking about some finalists. LeBron is one of the finalists. Steph, Klay, myself.
“To get these opportunities, we don’t take them for granted.”
Green, however, pushed back on suggestions that this season marked a “last dance” for the likes of James and Curry.
“Stop trying to turn the page on us so quickly,” Green said. “Stop trying to turn the page on Bron. We’re so caught up in the next thing, we don’t appreciate the present.
“Then you go to the next thing and you’re looking back, like, ‘Man, I wish I’d still had it. I wish we’d still seen it.’
“So for me and our boys we’re going to appreciate it every step of the way.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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