LeBron James and Stephen Curry (Image Credit: Getty Images)

There is hardly any NBA fan who didn’t enjoy watching LeBron James and Stephen Curry’s chemistry during the Paris Olympics. While James played pivotal in the group stage games, Curry stepped up in the semi-finals and finals to carry Team USA to the gold medal.

However, their dynamic was very different when these two legends met early in their careers on the NBA court. Their encounters have been full of competition rather than collaboration. In fact, even James’ camp once harbored some resentment toward Curry during his rise to superstardom.

NBA insider Sam Amick recently reflected on this historic rivalry on “The TK Show.” Amick described how James’ camp reacted to Curry’s growing fame.

“It was really surreal for me to watch Curry and LeBron specifically just enjoy each other as much as they did because we were at all those Finals where it’s not a matter of them having animosity towards one another, but they were rivals. Their camps didn’t always love the way that the other player was talked about,” Amick said.

“LeBron’s people did not love it when people started calling Steph the best player in the world. Then there were on-court moments where LeBron, with his massive size, is kinda bodying Steph and making sure the world sees him as less than and kinda the small, younger guy. That dynamic was real,” he added.

Kevin Durant Snubs Stephen Curry in NBA 2K25 Lineup Despite Olympic Heroics

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant formed a formidable trio during the Paris Olympics, often leading Team USA to victory with their combined s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s. However, despite their success, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant still seems to have some reservations about Curry’s athleticism.

Durant recently shared his starting five for the latest NBA 2K video game. His lineup included himself, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and Klay Thompson. While NBA 2K25 is just a video game, Durant’s choice to omit Curry raised eyebrows, given their Olympic success.

Curry’s exclusion seemed even more puzzling, considering his outstanding performance during the gold medal game. The Golden State Warriors star knocked down four clutch 3-pointers, sealing Team USA’s win over France.