Stephen Curry on Lakers, Warriors' Officiating Gripes: 'I've Seen it Way Worse'

The story of the Golden State Warriors-Los Angeles Lakers series has come down to two words: free throws.

In games where the Lakers are given a favorable whistle and head to the line on a regular basis, they've come away victorious. In games where officials have largely swallowed the whistle, the Warriors have won.

That's led to a war of words playing out both in the media and on the floor between the two teams, but Stephen Curry is unbothered by the chirping.

"I've seen it way worse," Curry said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. "But the more you play a team, the more stuff comes out—and the power of this microphone and the gamesmanship back and forth. It's all a part of it. Nothing that is surprising. Even from game to game. So I mean, there's respect, but there's competition. And everything is catered to just trying to win four games. That's what you expect."

The Lakers have shot 86 free throws in their three wins and only 32 in their pair of losses. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has called out the Lakers for flopping, which LeBron James bristled at.

"We're just not a team that goes out there looking for flopping opportunities," James told reporters after the Game 5 loss. "It's just not us. It's never been. It's actually never been any team I've played on in my 20 years where we've been a flopping team."

This is not the first—or second, or third, or fourth—time around the block for James and Curry in a playoff series. These two legendary rivals are doing battle for perhaps the final time on the postseason stage, each perhaps having their best chance at a fifth ring this season.

It's unsurprising that working the refs has become a significant storyline as this series goes on, in large part because both sides have enough playoff experience to know the benefits of getting a favorable whistle.