In today’s Dub Hub:
- LeBron James reacts to missing Steph Curry matchups this season: “We don’t know if we’ll get the opportunity to play against each other [again].”
- Brandin Podziemski explains what it means to have played in every game this season.
- Grizzlies play Jazz on Friday night in what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst calls the “Tanking Super Bowl.”
For over a decade, the Golden State Warriors vs. LeBron James has been an NBA staple. Which is why, for a rivalry that has helped define an era of basketball, Steph Curry’s absence during Thursday night’s 119–103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers was impossible to ignore.
The game marked the final regular-season meeting between the two teams, but with Curry sidelined as a precaution while ramping up from a knee injury, the latest chapter of his head-to-head history with James never came.
From James’ perspective,
the realization didn’t hit until the day of the game — and even then, it caught him off guard.
With both teams shorthanded — the Lakers without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and the Warriors missing Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and several other key contributors — it was James who took center stage. The 22-time All-Star delivered a vintage performance, finishing with a near triple-double of 26 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds to secure Los Angeles’ 51st win of the season.
Still, the bigger takeaway went beyond the box score.
For most of their careers, Curry and James have been intertwined from four consecutive NBA Finals matchups to countless regular-season battles. Now, deep into their careers, that connection remains built on respect as much as competition.
And as James alluded to, with both superstars in the later stages of their careers, nothing is guaranteed — which is what made this missed opportunity feel a little more significant, but cherished by both stars, nonetheless.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, April 10th:
Warriors News:
Why no Steph Curry vs. LeBron James in 2025-26 season is a loss for everybody | NBC Sports Bay Area
Respect has been earned and admired by Curry and James. An all-time rivalry comes with the territory of greatness.
“I think rivalries in general are defined by playoff matchups,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s kind of the history of the way we look at Wilt [Chamberlain] vs. Bill Russell, Bird-Magic. I think they had three Finals confrontations. What would some of the other ones be? I don’t know. Steph and LeBron has to be up there.”
NBA intel: What execs, coaches, scouts are watching this postseason | ESPN
Can Stephen Curry power Golden State to two road wins?
Bontemps: The immediate answer from league insiders I spoke to was “no.” Obviously, it’s been a brutal season for Golden State from an injury perspective, including losing both Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody for the season, plus the Jonathan Kuminga drama over the first half of the season and Kristaps Porzingis and Curry missing large chunks of the second half.
“I’m not sure they even win the 9-10 game, let alone both,” a West scout said. “It’s one thing when Steph gets it going at home and he’s got that crowd roaring behind him. That’s a real thing.
“It’s different when they’re on the road and he’s doing it somewhere else. That same factor just isn’t there.”
Brandin Podziemski explains why it ‘means a lot’ to play in every game this season
NBA News:
NBA’s most valuable players in 15 categories: Scoring, shooting, more | ESPN
Rainmaker: Best 3-point shooter
Net points: plus-2.3 per game, plus-163 total
Why he ranks No. 1: Murray has been good at shooting 3s for years, but this year he is great. Per Genius IQ, he’s shooting 46% on 3s off the catch, 2% better than his previous high. He’s shooting 42% off the dribble, equaling his career high, but on an extra 1.5 attempts per game. Defending players who can create 3s off the dribble is hard, especially with guys such as Murray, who can also get by you with a dribble. That’s why his shooting has led to his best overall offensive season.
The runners-up: Stephen Curry (+2.1), Kon Knueppel (plus-1.9), Anthony Edwards (plus-1.8)
Top rookie: Knueppel (plus-1.9)
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on tonight’s Jazz-Grizzlies matchup: ‘We have arrived at the tanking Super Bowl’
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
This season robbed us of Stephen Curry vs LeBron James
Look at what we missed. During their long rivalry they’ve traded highlights and crazy box scores. Per Basketball Reference, in the regular season head-to-head data LeBron is averaging 30.2 points on 20.9 field goal attempts across 27 games. Steph is answering with 24.9 points and 6.5 assists across those same 27 matchups. That’s two legends still going to work every single time they see each other. And this season, we didn’t get one chapter of it.
A post to end the week:
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
