Curry or Durant, who is James s lifelong rival? It was he who made James change himself

Who is James’ old enemy? Some people may say that it must be Kobe. 23VS24 was definitely the traffic ceiling back then, but I don’t think so. James and Kobe were players from two eras. In terms of the general environment at that time, Kobe represented the modern era, while James represented the future. There is no way to compare two stars from different eras. So the question is, who can become James' lifelong rival? My answer is Curry.

Some people may ask, why not Durant? The two people who were originally called the kings of the league were the top players in the league in terms of age and matchup. James also won the championship with Durant, and Durant also defeated James and won the first championship of his career by joining the Warriors. The matchup between the two people can be said to be the hottest topic at the time. Even now, the abilities of James and Durant are still top-notch existences. Why is Durant not James' old enemy? Then look down.

If it weren't for Curry's sudden emergence, perhaps Durant would have been James's old enemy. However, the Warriors led by Curry completely changed the fans' definition of modern basketball. It is precisely because of this time that the Warriors The team "stole" three championships from James. From that moment on, Curry's influence has actually surpassed James. Even if James resisted the pressure and won the championship from 1-3 behind, there was no way to affect Curry's impact on modern basketball.

So when talking about old rivals, they are not only contenders for victory in the game, but also need to have the energy to subvert the opponent's historical narrative. If measured by this standard, the difference between Durant and Curry is immediately apparent.

The duel between Durant and James is more like a duel between talents. The competition between the two is more like proving who is the better person. Unfortunately, after Durant joined the Warriors, many people thought it was an achievement achieved as a team, and doubts about Durant have never stopped. On the other hand, Curry, his success is not due to competing with James for talent and strength, but entirely relying on the victory or defeat of the team to rewrite the final outcome.

From a historical perspective, Curry has an absolute advantage in the finals record between James and Curry, with 1 win and 3 losses (2016 Cavaliers win, 2015, 2017, 2018 Warriors win). It can be said that Curry's threat to James is a multi-dimensional dimensionality reduction attack, and its impact has long gone beyond the victory itself and points directly to the underlying logic of basketball. After the Warriors won the championship in 2015, the NBA officially entered the small ball era, and the source of all this is Curry. James is great, and Durant is indeed great, but Curry changed an era. It is no exaggeration to say that if James had not won the championship in the 2016 season, it can be said that Curry would have completely crushed James. If this can't become James' old enemy, I really can't think of anyone else who can match the 40-year-old James.

The rivalry between Durant and James remains at the level of "who is better", while the rivalry between Curry and James has escalated into a philosophical debate on "how basketball should be played." Now, with the rise of new forces, the era of James and Curry is about to end, so please cherish every game in the last years of their careers. For example, this year, if the two can meet again, it will be a new hope.

The real enemy never entangles you on the data sheet, but forces you to step out of your comfort zone and reinvent yourself in the confrontation. Durant made James experience the sting of "talent being crushed", but Curry made him fall into the panic of "being abandoned by the times". When James carried J.R. Smith and other role players against the Warriors in the 2018 playoffs, he may have understood that No. 30, who wore braces and shot a long three-pointer, was the most profound mirror image of his career.