LeBron James and Stephen Curry meet again.
In the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, two of the greatest players of all time will battle for a spot in the Western Conference Finals. Both the Lakers and Warriors played upset to get here, defeating the No. 2 seed Grizzlies and No. 3 seed Kings, respectively, in the first round.
James led the Lakers over the Grizzlies in six games with averages of 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Curry was nothing short of spectacular against the Kings, posting 33.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists in the seven-game series.
Curry saved his best for last with a record-breaking 50 points in Game 7.
If James and Curry still playing at this level isn't enough of a draw, history suggests it could be a classic.
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LeBron James record vs. Stephen Curry in NBA Playoffs
The second-round matchup between James and Curry in 2023 will mark their fifth meeting in the playoffs. Each of the previous ones came in the Finals in consecutive seasons when James was a member of the Cavaliers.
While James' overall numbers are superior, Curry has won 15 of the 22 games and three of the four series they have played against each other. That does not include the 2021 Play-In Tournament when James led the Lakers to victory with a triple-double and clutch 3-pointer over Curry.
Here are their stats from their head-to-head battles in the playoffs:
| LeBron James | Stephen Curry | |
| Series won | 1 | 3 |
| Games won | 7 | 15 |
| Points per game | 33.0 | 25.4 |
| Rebounds per game | 11.5 | 5.9 |
| Assists per game | 9.3 | 6.3 |
| Steals per game | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Blocks per game | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Turnovers per game | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| Field goal percentage | 48.1 | 42.2 |
| 3-point percentage | 34.9 | 39.7 |
| Free throw percentage | 71.9 | 91.6 |
The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals to capture their first championship in 40 years. Andre Iguodala was named Finals MVP of the series. The Cavaliers got revenge the following season in historic fashion, with James leading them from a 3-1 deficit to deliver Cleveland's first championship in 52 years.
The Warriors signed Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason and defeated the Cavaliers in both 2017 and 2018 to record back-to-back championships. Durant was named Finals MVP in both series.
James claimed his fourth championship and fourth Finals MVP when the Lakers beat the Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals. Curry won his fourth championship and first Finals MVP when the Warriors took down the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.
The fifth meeting between James and Curry sees the Warriors as the betting favorites.
