Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James talked about what it’s like to defend Stephen Curry, and he didn’t need many words to talk about the Golden State Warriors legend.
© Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesLeBron James and Stephen Curry
LeBron James described what it’s like to defend Stephen Curry.
He’s not worried about the basketball when Curry is in front of him.
James believes guarding Curry is ‘uncomfortable.’
LeBron James Describes What Is Like To Guard Stephen Curry
Regardless of how their careers pan out, Stephen Curry will forever hold bragging rights over LeBron James. He’s beaten him three out of four times in the NBA Finals, although James did spoil his record-breaking season.
Both were born in the same hospital in Akron, Ohio, and they both have four championships. They will also both be first-ballot Hall of Famers and considered the greatest ever at their positions.
Nonetheless, even after all these years, James still hasn’t figured out how to contain Steph. That was evident again in the latest Golden State Warriors‘ win over the Los Angeles Lakers, in which Curry went 6-for-6 from three-point range.
LeBron Says Curry Is A Problem
Talking on his Mind The Game podcast with JJ Redick, LeBron tried to explain just how difficult and frustrating it was to guard Curry. He just needed four words: He’s the [expletive] problem:
“I didn’t look at the ball the whole f–ing time. The ball is not the problem with Steph Curry. He’s the f-cking problem,” James told Redick. “Steph is the most dangerous when he doesn’t have the ball. There’s not many guys, all time, in our league that is the most dangerous without the ball.”
James Says Guarding Curry Is Uncomfortable
LeBron dug a little deeper into the ins and outs of trying to defend Steph. He believes he makes other players uncomfortable, and that’s why he’s always going to be a force in this league:
“I’m telling them [his teammates], ‘Listen, guys, I’ve been in more than enough wars with those guys.’ I understand it, coming from a different point of view. But when Steph decides to cut inside the lane, don’t relax. He’s coming back up. You have to have reps, reps, reps, and reps of actually guarding something that’s uncomfortable. Guarding Steph is uncomfortable,“ James continued. “And the problem with our guys, with our league, they are not comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s why Steph and the Golden State will always be relevant because they play an uncomfortable style of play.”
Curry and James will most likely square off again in the Play-In Tournament, meaning just one of them will advance to the playoffs. Needless to say, the league is licking its chops with that matchup, as it’ll be the game of the season.
