"Who ain't scared to death of Steph?” – Stephen A. Smith on LeBron James' healthy level of fear facing Steph Curry
LeBron James and Steph Curry are set to compete against one another yet again, this time in the second round of the NBA playoffs. With Game 1 on tap for Tuesday night at Golden State, fans are eagerly awaiting another clash between the two.
With the two men already having clashed in the playoffs numerous times before, fans are excited to see how the latest matchup plays out. So far this postseason, the Lakers have left fans in awe of their dominance. Most recently, Anthony Davis' Game 6 performance against the Grizzlies earned him tremendous praise.
At the same time, the Golden State Warriors have seemingly gotten over the hurdles of winning on the road, giving fans hope they can beat LeBron James once again. Heading into the series, Stephen A. Smith spoke on First Take to discuss the series, stating that James should have a healthy amount of fear playing against Curry:
"Who ain't scared to death of Steph Curry? I mean he strikes fear in everybody. ... When you demoralize a team, Steph Curry is at a point in his career where the minute he launches it, because you didn't block the shot you're like 'damn'. ... They don't want to see the ball going through the basket, because they know what's coming.
"Who has suffered that more than LeBron James? LeBron James has played 10 different teams over the course of his illustrious career in the postseason, he only has a losing record against two of them in a series. San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, 1-2 against San Antonio, 1-3 against the Golden State Warriors."
.@stephenasmith says that LeBron should have a "healthy level of fear" of Steph Curry 👀
"Who ain't scared to death of Steph? ... Steph Curry has been a walking nightmare for LeBron James. LeBron knows what's coming." https://t.co/Lu7aJ9Nyto
You can see his full comments in the video above.
Looking at LeBron James and Steph Curry's head-to-head record in the playoffs
As Stephen A. Smith pointed out, Steph Curry has gotten the better of LeBron James on three occasions throughout his career. During that time, Curry has won 15 of the games, while James has won seven. Despite that, the two men are both tied for four NBA championships to their name.
Given that LeBron James played in the Eastern Conference up until he joined the LA Lakers, the two have only met in the finals so far. The second-round series, set to begin on Tuesday, will mark a new chapter in the rivalry, with the losing team eliminated from the playoffs.
For the winner, a Western Conference finals matchup with the winner of the Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets series awaits. Ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday, James spoke to media members about the respect the two sides have for one another:
"I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steph and everything he's been able to accomplish, not only on the floor but off the floor also. It's great to have people like that in this league setting an example for the generation to come."
You can listen to his comments in the video below.
Lakers’ LeBron James on his rivalry with Stephen Curry and his respect for him https://t.co/JIAqlXi4ry