LeBron James, Stephen Curry and More Speak on Lakers vs. Warriors on Christmas
LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors will meet for the fourth consecutive Christmas on Tuesday, and everyone involved is looking forward to a clash of the Western Conference powers at Oracle Arena.
James expressed his excitement Sunday, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk:
"It's going to be a very good environment. Those fans, obviously, love their Warriors. But I don't look at it as a special matchup. We're a team that's trying to get better every week, better every month. They're a team trying to figure out how to win another championship. ... But, we want to have championship habits. It's a special day. It's Christmas. We get to play the game of basketball on Christmas. It's my 13th appearance. Obviously, I'd love to be home with my family. But if I had to do anything else, playing basketball is pretty cool."
Warriors star Stephen Curry echoed similar sentiments.
"We've seen him a lot over the last four years. It'll be a fun atmosphere. Played him and his team on Christmas I think the last four years, including this year," Curry said Sunday, according to Youngmisuk. "It'll be a fun atmosphere, a fun game [with a] Bay Area and Southern California vibe kind of reignited a little bit so it should be fun."
This, of course, will mark James' first Christmas Day showdown against Curry and Co. as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. As a Cleveland Cavalier, he went 1-2 in the holiday showcase, including a 99-92 defeat at Golden State last year.
Three-time All-Star Draymond Green made it clear, via the Mercury News' Mark Medina, that it doesn't matter what uniform James is wearing—it's going to be a battle regardless:
"I really don't give a damn about him being in a Lakers uniform," Green said. "That really don't matter to me. That is the team he is on, and that is who we face. It obviously is going to be a tough challenge; they are playing well. They got a lot of guys playing well. Kuz has really stepped up his game; Lonzo is playing well."
James and the Lakers (19-14) have bounced back from an 0-3 start to the season to climb up to fourth place in the Western Conference, just 3.5 games back of the Warriors (23-11). And although it has lost three of its last four games, Los Angeles recently had a stretch where it won seven of nine to establish itself as a contender.
Meanwhile, the 33-year-old James is having yet another MVP-caliber season, averaging 27.6 points, 7.2 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game in his first season in purple and gold.
Tuesday's matchup will mark the first time the Warriors and the Lakers have met in the regular season since James arrived in Hollywood. While many will try to use the game as a litmus test for the Lakers to see how they stack up against the two-time defending champs, James doesn't want his team to get caught up in the hype.
"We can't measure ourselves versus them," James noted Sunday, per Youngmisuk. "That's a team that's won three out of four championships, the last four years. You can't measure yourself versus them."
James himself has played in eight consecutive NBA Finals, while suiting up for the Miami Heat and the Cavs. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is in the midst of a five-year playoff drought. The Lakers may have championship aspirations, but they are still working on proving they belong with the league's elite.
Regardless, this Christmas Day showdown will add yet another chapter to one of the NBA's greatest rivalries.
