LeBron James appreciates Steph Curry, Warriors Christmas Day matchup – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have their Christmas game with the Warriors at Chase Center circled on the calendar.

The two Western Conference foes will face off for the first time since 2018 on one of the biggest nights of any NBA season, when Los Angeles defeated Golden State 127-101 at Oracle Arena.

Speaking to reporters after Los Angeles’ loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday, James expressed his excitement for the prime-time game against Curry and the Warriors.

When the Lakers and Warriors meet on Wednesday, it will be the fourth time that LeBron James and Stephen Curry have played each other on Christmas. LeBron: “I don’t know how many more opportunities we’ll get to compete…” pic.twitter.com/y8MCZJR1aD

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 24, 2024

“Always. Any time you get the opportunity to step on the field and play against one of the greats to ever play the game, you can’t take it for granted,” James said. “I don’t know how many more opportunities we’ll have to compete against each other, so it’s always fun.”

Curry and James have a long history of playing against each other, highlighted by four consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2014 to 2017, when James played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, before the two became Western Conference rivals after James in July 2018 moved to the Lakers.

The two shared the court as teammates outside of an NBA All-Star Game for the first time this summer at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping Team USA win a gold medal where James Curry’s greatness was witnessed close by as an ally and not as an annoying rival.

“Depends on which side I’m on,” James said when asked what it’s like to witness a typical Curry Flurry. “I saw it last summer with Team USA. Great feeling. On the other hand, of course, there is a not so good feeling.”

The Warriors will have their hands full on Wednesday with James and fellow All-Star center Anthony Davis, who believes Golden State has improved since acquiring veteran guard Dennis Schröder in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets has taken over.

Anthony Davis points out that the Warriors’ signing of former Lakers guard Dennis Schroder is something to consider as they prepare for Christmas Day: pic.twitter.com/r8kIdLpnUx

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 24, 2024

“We always fight with them. We saw them in the playoffs for a couple of years,” Davis told reporters on Monday. “They added Dennis (Schröder) to their team, which was a good reinforcement for them. It will be fun to go to the Bay and try to get a win on Christmas Day.”

The battle between the top two franchises and Pacific Division rivals should not disappoint, and with both the Warriors and Lakers expected to advance to the playoffs late in the season, this could be the first of potentially many high-profile matchups in be this season.

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