LeBron James Explains 'Dislike' for Steph Curry During Warriors-Cavs NBA Rivalry

LeBron James and Stephen Curry seem to have found a place of harmony on the court whenever they play each other now, but that wasn't the case at the peak of the rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.

Speaking to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, James talked about his "dislike" of Curry when they met in the NBA Finals in four consecutive years from 2015 to 2018.

"I mean, s--t, when you're in a dogfight and there's one guy that's trying to stop you from reaching your goals, you're going to dislike that person," James said. "He disliked me, I disliked him because we were both fighting for what the f--k we wanted, and that's the Larry O'Brien trophy."

Curry described the battles as a "healthy resentment" for each other because they both were doing everything possible to lead their team to victory.

"All you think about is just winning," Curry said. "So, yeah, it was petty. It was competitive. Trash talking. All the above. [But] there's always respect. I didn't like the player. The person's always great. You just hate when he has a jersey on wearing No. 23."

The James-Curry rivalry defined this era of basketball. They have played a total of 28 times in the postseason, including 22 games in the Finals. Curry has the advantage with a 17-11 record in those matchups and three Finals wins.

James' lone victory in the Finals over Curry and the Warriors in 2016 was arguably the most memorable of his career. The Cavs became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, winning the decisive Game 7 on the Warriors' home court.

James and Curry have both won four titles in their storied careers.