When basketball fans think of last year’s NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors they think of the dying seconds of Game 1 when JR Smith forgot the score in the game and ultimately cost the Cavs a victory. However, other fans might remember the trash talking that took place between LeBron James and Steph Curry during the tense moments of the game.
Curry was a guest on a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he revealed exactly what was said between himself and James during that time.
“It was never going to spill over to that. But it was an interesting moment… I was hot because I was trying to finish out a possession, I think it was less than a minute left, I didn’t see him coming over from the weak side so I tried to do a little soft scoop layup and he pinned it. Then he stared me down and he said something to me.
“And I was like, ‘That’s what we’re really on right now? We’re about to win and you’re worried about mean-blocking my shot and talking trash?’
A few moments later Tristan Thompson and Draymond Green got into it in overtime and that’s when Curry approached LeBron again trying to clear up what just happened.
“And then the whole Tristan and Draymond thing happened and I went back up to him and I was like, ‘Yo, what’s up? Is this really what we’re about right now?’
“And he was like, ‘I gotta do that to make sure my teammates know I’m a mentor’ and it’s part of his leadership and that type of deal. And I was like, ‘I don’t want to be the sacrificial lamb for your leadership.’ (laughter) Come on man, that’s messed up.”
LeBron James and Steph Curry are used to playing each other twice during the regular season and then later on the in NBA Finals, but now they'll get to see each other a lot more during the regular season with LeBron now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. And who knows, if LeBron can lead the Lakers back to the playoffs maybe they'll meet in the opening round of the playoffs.
(H/T The Bill Simmons Podcast)
