What we will see Thursday is two of the best basketball players of all-time meeting again on the biggest stage. The newest in a long list of sports rivalries.
It’s two of the premier players of this era going at it again and doing so in completely different ways. LeBron James has all but abandoned his perimeter game in favor of setting up his weapons, while Stephen Curry has never been sharper from deep. Two great players dominating the same game in polar opposite fashions.
LeBron James has his detractors; ever since high school people have been tearing him down for his attitude, but there is no denying he’s one of the greatest players of all time. He will become the first player ever to play in six consecutive Finals. That’s better than some of the greatest champions in the sport with names like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. His legacy has never been in doubt.
Stephen Curry followed a different route. The son of an NBA player, he was all but ignored in college and his first foray into the game was stifled by injury so much so that his career was in jeopardy. But as Curry healed and began growing his game, the team and talent grew around him, culminating with a championship last season.
Jordan never had the rival that these two have in each other. Michael wasn’t tested by a single player that he had to battle year in and year out. You can have great playoff performances, battles with teams and other coaches, but without another player to match you mano a mano on the other end, it will always lack that historic luster.
As good as LeBron has been since he entered the league, it’s widely regarded that Curry is the best in the NBA right now and for the foreseeable future. Make no mistake, this Cavs team is deeper and more talented than last year with a healthy Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. But Curry and fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson have also elevated their games to new heights, which was display in the Western Conference Finals. With those two shooting the ball, the Warriors are never out of any game and have a decided advantage over the competition.
If this series can go five or six games, maybe even seven, this will go down as one of the greatest Finals of all-time. It could reach the heights of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with two of the most watchable, charismatic and talented players to ever play the game.
Much like last round, I think the Warriors are the better team and I’ll take them to beat the Cavs in six games and have yet another parade down Broadway in Oakland.
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