The Exciting Road to the League Cup Quarterfinals: A Superclásico Showdown Looms

The most intense rivalries in sports often involve players with stark differences, competing at the highest level while occupying the same space. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain famously faced off in eight playoff series, while Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, known for having one of the greatest rivalries in basketball, met four times between the 1979 NCAA championship game and three NBA Finals. LeBron James and Steph Curry’s history can be seen as a bridge between these historic rivalries. Including the recent play-in tournament, they have faced each other six times in the postseason and may have a seventh matchup in the near future. Both players have four championship wins, tying for the most among current players. In the last 13 seasons, only two Finals series did not involve either LeBron or Steph. Based on numbers alone, this is the biggest rivalry in modern NBA history. However, our perception of rivalries may be influenced by traditional thinking. Since LeBron and Steph do not directly compete against each other, it raises the question of what exactly we are comparing.

Steph is widely regarded as the greatest point guard in basketball history, although he is not always recognized as a traditional point guard. The standard for this position, embodied by Chris Paul, carries a certain sense of authority and control: point guards are seen as leaders who dictate the flow of play with the ball in their hands. However, Curry’s approach is more subtle and cooperative, resembling the dance of a worker bee. He once stated, “No matter what challenges you face, find a way to make it work. This mindset has stuck with me since I started playing point guard. Adapt, be creative, try new approaches and just make it work.”

Nine years ago, LeBron faced the Warriors in the 2015 Finals with little support. Both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were out due to injuries, leaving James to face the Warriors’ dominant offense on his own. In response, he resorted to a brutish style of play, prioritizing quantity over quality in an attempt to survive against the Warriors. He attempted a record-breaking 196 field goals in just six games, something he had never done before in his career. After losing the Finals, James expressed his dislike for this inefficient style of play and his frustrations at being the sole creator for his team. In contrast, in his most recent game against the Pelicans, James recorded a total of 13 assists in just the first half, showcasing his ability to involve his teammates in playmaking. This was the most assists he had ever recorded in a single half of play, even after 21 years in the NBA.

It has been nearly ten years since Steph and LeBron first met in the Finals, which is approximately twice the average length of an NBA player’s career. It is remarkable that they continue to perform at a high level. I may hold onto the possibility of seeing yet another intense matchup between them because, although they are both still playing at a top-10 level, it is uncertain what the future holds and how much time they have left. At the end of the season, LeBron is likely to opt out of his contract, but what comes next? Will there be another round of retirement rumors? Will he fulfill his long-standing desire to play on the same team as his son? Or will he take a late-career journey to the Bay, like Durant, just to witness the brilliance of Steph’s off-ball movement firsthand? (Stranger things have happened.)

Steph’s movements without the ball are akin to being in a sensory illusion, where he is guided by the wind’s colors to the right positions for him and his teammates. This is possible due to his extensive training in improving his pattern recognition and reflexes, aided by colored light sensors that correspond to specific actions. He has spent years immersed in neurological exercises and sensory overload drills, including the famous one-handed tennis ball bounce while continuously dribbling a basketball, a feat out of reach for even the highly-rated Luka Doncic of The Ringer. All of this in an effort to bridge the gap between his body and mind, and maximize every fraction of a second in any given moment. With quicker and longer shots, Steph’s game revolutionized basketball’s concept of space and time, solidifying his dominance in this current era of the NBA. My first long-form article on this site explored the lasting impact of Steph’s emergence as a phenomenon. As I wrote in 2016, “the NBA had to adapt to defend against shots that were never considered a threat before.” Now, eight years later, it’s clear how much this has shifted the approach of the next generation of players. Steph Curry’s unmatched abilities have forever altered the game of basketball.

Now is the perfect time to focus on the present. It is possible that both teams will end their seasons this week, but they could also make it to the playoffs. Everything is on the table and anything is possible right now. Despite playing the same amount of minutes this season as he did in the 2014-2015 championship season, Curry has averaged nearly three more points per game. LeBron has not been as efficient at scoring in 10 years. Their consistent success over the last 20 years is the closest the NBA can come to emulating a timeless figure. Whether or not they meet again in the playoffs, watching Steph and LeBron allows us to experience nostalgia in the present moment.

Curry expressed the importance of reflecting on the experiences from the 2015 Finals and valuing the chance to witness another thrilling matchup between LeBron and the Warriors in their semifinal clash last year. Despite missing out on the highly anticipated Kobe-LeBron matchup, we have the possibility of seeing these two defining stars face off again on Friday, if circumstances permit. Unfortunately, the world is not always fair and wishes can only be fulfilled in retrospect.

However, everything eventually comes to an end, correct? The start of Kobe’s decline took place on April 12, 2013, after attempting to fix his ruptured Achilles tendon and making two free throws, leading the Lakers to a win against Golden State where Curry scored 47 points. Curry’s influence was just starting to emerge and it became clear three years later when the Warriors broke the NBA’s regular-season wins record, on the same night as Kobe’s final game. Some may see this as a mystical coincidence, but the significance of these moments and players creates a feeling of destiny. Fans chant Curry’s name at half court, just as they did with Kobe’s famous fadeaway shot. Jordan, Kobe, and Steph – their impact on the game spans four decades and they are almost like celestial bodies. To observe, to embody, to surpass. And LeBron is like the Silver Surfer, traveling between these planets. It was not expected for LeBron to join this group, and it may have even been a less interesting outcome. Instead, he is the connective tissue across eras. You may have heard that at 39 years old, LeBron shot a higher percentage from three-point range (41%) than Curry did this season (40.8%). This is just another remarkable feat in LeBron’s timeless career, demonstrating his ability to adapt and succeed.