The two defining players of the past decade go head to head for a spot in the playoffs and a series against the Phoenix Suns. Set your alarms and watch Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers, live on Sky Sports Main Event & Arena from 3am
Thursday 20 May 2021 07:17, UK
Following Steph Curry's 46-point evisceration of the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, a performance that sealed this mouth-watering Warriors-Lakers match-up in Game 1 of the West Conference Play-In, LeBron James anointed his fellow Akron-born superstar the MVP of the league.
"If Steph is not on Golden State's team, then what are we looking at?" James wondered aloud.
"We get caught up in the records sometimes and who has the best record as opposed to who had the best season that year. Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year."
The most cynical response to this would be to assume that James, as astute and considered off the court as he is on it, is merely setting up his own grand narrative here: should the Lakers win, he will have toppled the best player in the league this season in a decisive one-off game.
Maybe the simple psychological value of that, for both James and the Los Angeles Lakers, would be a welcome boost as they head into a Western Conference playoffs far behind their rivals in terms of health, cohesion and momentum.
But then, the simple answer is probably the correct one. A couple of seasons removed from those four, gruelling, consecutive NBA Finals series against Curry's Warriors he has done little to hide his admiration for Golden State's golden boy.
"Our paths have been crossed again. It's always been a level of respect beyond the game of basketball, the way I feel for Steph."
The two have been the defining players of the last decade of NBA basketball. James created the super team era when he took his talents to South Beach in 2010; Curry spearheaded the three-point revolution that dominated through the latter half of the decade.
Both have multiple titles and MVP awards to their name. Both are (apparently) entering the twilight of their careers, not that it is showing. They remain two of the best five players in the league whichever way you look at it.
Yet, for all their history together, they could not be more different.
Curry, a lithe, livewire point guard, remains universally adored for his carefree persona, which translates to a playing style centred on repeatedly attempting the ridiculous... and repeatedly pulling it off. Early in his career he was deemed too small, too brittle. A two-guard in a one-guard's body. Unsuited to the physical nature of the NBA.
In the end, it was the NBA that was unsuited to Steph Curry. It was the NBA that had to adapt to him, not the other way around.
James is more hulking, more bruising, more serious. More in line with the established patterns, history and logic of the game. Possessing a physique unmatched across any sport and an innate intelligence to go with it. Truly positionless, with no flaws, no weaknesses and until this season, no injuries; he's an algorithm designed to make the best basketball play over and over and over again.
He will retire as one of the two greatest players to ever live.
From those descriptions alone, it would be clear who is the hero and who is the villain were this a Marvel adaptation but in reality, with these two goliaths of the modern era, it's never quite as clear.
James took the role of David from Curry after the miracle that was the 2016 Finals, when the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team in finals history to overturn a 3-1 deficit. He was the first player to lead a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and all this against the most dominant regular season team in history, one which had stomped the rest of the league to a 73-9 record.
Kevin Durant then joined Golden State as a free agent that offseason and the dynamic was set, although James would cause no more title upsets in his home state as the Warriors went back-to-back.
To use wrestling parlance, Curry has reverted once again back to 'face' status after a heel turn that, really, had nothing to do with him and everything to do with his own success.
James is right, he has catapulted the Warriors into a post-season battle they have no right being in given the rest of their roster and the long-term injury to Klay Thompson. But then again that's Steph, a player for whom reality simply does not apply.
In contrast, James was once again suiting up to play the role of supervillain off the back of his 2020 championship alongside Anthony Davis.
Instead, both were cruelly struck down with injuries at various points through the season and the team that everyone expected to cakewalk to a title repeat now find themselves two games from missing the playoffs altogether. It's hard to stress how unthinkable that was when the season tipped off in December.
This perhaps explains why LeBron had some choice words of his own for the new format.
Utah and Phoenix wait in the first round. Maybe Denver or the Clippers after that. Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the Finals. Somehow, somewhere along the way, James and Curry have become underdogs again.
It is testament to the overall strength of the league, both the number and distribution of superstars and addition of the Play-In Tournament that this is the case. We have the two defining players of a generation going head to head on Wednesday night knowing that, should they come up short, they must win or go home on Friday.
James has reiterated it does not matter which seed the Lakers are, they are going all the way again. Curry knows that he can shoot Memphis, or anyone for that matter, out of the game if required. He is free from the strain of championship expectations, unlike LeBron. Both teams will be the heavy favourite whoever wins out of the Spurs and Grizzlies. Maybe this game should not matter all that much. After all, it's just two kids from Akron.
Then again, it's Steph vs LeBron. Steph vs LeBron. Steph vs LeBron. Whatever happens, basketball wins. We will have one of them, likely both, raining fire down throughout the playoffs yet again.
