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LeBron James Tries to Block Steph Curry Immediately After Taking Court for Warmups

The Lakers and Warriors are ready for a Christmas night showdown.

Patrick Andres

Stephen Curry and LeBron James after the Warriors' 125–108 exhibition win over the Lakers on Oct. 7, 2023.
Stephen Curry and LeBron James after the Warriors' 125–108 exhibition win over the Lakers on Oct. 7, 2023. / John Hefti-Imagn Images
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In the 2020s—and particularly in the last few years—every matchup between forward LeBron James's Los Angeles Lakers and guard Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors has taken on special meaning. There is a growing sense that both legends—and particularly James—may not have much time left in the NBA.

Amid this bummer of a backdrop, James provided a moment of levity before the Lakers' and Warriors' game Wednesday evening. As he emerged from the tunnel for warmups, he immediately raced over to block a midrange shot attempt from Curry.

The future Hall of Famers then hugged and chatted while fans took in the scene.

This has been a banner year for positive press surrounding the Curry-James duo, even as the NBA's product has taken a barrage of criticism. The duo teamed up to help the United States win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris in the summer, putting a neat (if informal) bow on their era of basketball.

In the short term, though, both players' squads could badly use a win in the Western Conference's perpetually crowded playoff race.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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