5 opponents LeBron James will relish facing more than others during the 2021-22 NBA season
LeBron James is looking to win a second NBA title with the LA Lakers when he and his revamped squad take the court next season. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager, has retooled the Purple and Gold for another lengthy playoff run that will hopefully end in a championship.
Along the way, LeBron James will face a plethora of rivals, some new and others from his earlier years in the league. Regardless of how far the rivalry has come, the 17-time All-Star would love nothing more than to prove his superiority over his would-be conquerors.
With 18 years under his belt, James has faced all comers head on. And though he hasn’t always won, he has always relished the opportunity to go head-to-head against them.
Here are the 5 opponents that LeBron James would be looking forward to facing during the upcoming 2021-22 season:
5. Chris Paul
While LeBron James and Chris Paul are good friends, they’re also among the most competitive. LeBron James and Chris Paul faced off in the playoffs for the first time in their careers last season. A less than 100 percent James and a hobbled Paul battled it out for six games before the Phoenix Suns emerged victorious in the first round.
The injury that Anthony Davis suffered in the middle of the series made Lakers fans wonder what could have been, especially when they led the match 2-1 after three games.
Moreover, Paul’s Suns embarrassed LeBron James’ LA Lakers in the last two games of the series, giving the four-time MVP his first taste of first-round playoff failure.
The agony of that defeat will motivate James to pay back his buddy big time next campaign, whether in the regular season or the postseason.
4. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry won three championships with the Golden State Warriors at LeBron James’ expense in the mid-2010s. In four meetings, James’ Cleveland Cavaliers could only muster one title during a four-year stretch in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.
When James finally had a championship-ready squad during the 2019-20 season, Curry’s Warriors were not a threat as he was sidelined after five games. Though he came back strong in 2020-21, his team was a shell of its championship self with many new faces and fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson out for the season.
As the Golden State Warriors are gearing up for a title run next season with their three best players healthy (Draymond Green being the other one), the LA Lakers are also gunning for the 2022 title with the addition of Russell Westbrook this offseason.
For the first time since he migrated to the Western Conference in 2018, LeBron James will face the Warriors with both teams having an equal opportunity to win the championship. Having a 1-3 record against Curry in the Finals will no doubt motivate James to beat him every time he sees him, both in the regular season and the playoffs should they meet there.
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