Even though the rivalry between Stephen Curry and LeBron James has been intense, LeBron’s got mad respect for Curry, seeing him as his toughest competitor. And that respect isn’t just LeBron’s—it’s definitely rubbed off on his sons, Bronny and Bryce.

Remember back in 2022 when LeBron James was hanging out with his sons, Bronny and Bryce, shooting hoops in their driveway and LeBron went live on Instagram? When Bryce took a shot from way downtown, LeBron commented, “You’re in Steph Curry range back there. He’s trying to shoot like Steph Curry… he all the way back there!” — implying that Bryce was trying to emulate Stephen Curry.

On top of that, there was the time Bronny James said “Steph Curry” without missing a beat during an Instagram Live when asked who his dad was. It was clear that Curry was a huge influence on both Bryce and Bronny, but it was wild to see he didn’t make Bryce’s top five basketball players of all time.

“Lebron, MJ, Kobe, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony,” Bryce said, leaving Curry out and giving props to Russell Westbrook instead. Everyone knows Bryce is a big fan of the 2016-17 NBA MVP—remember when Bryce threw up an Instagram story supporting Westbrook after he got traded from the Lakers?

While Bryce’s love for Westbrook is totally obvious, completely leaving his brother Bronny’s idol off the list seems a bit harsh, especially considering how much Curry’s game has influenced both him and Bronny. Could there be a reason for this? Was Bryce trying to send a message with this omission?

Was Bryce trying to rebuke the controversial trade made by the Lakers in 2023?

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ GM, decided to shake things up with the roster in 2023, which was a big move from all the hype around Westbrook’s arrival two summers before. Even though there was tons of buzz about the Westbrook trade, the truth was his style just didn’t jive with what LeBron James needed.

Westbrook’s game tends to crowd the court and mess with spacing, which totally clashes with LeBron’s need for a more open, fluid setup. This mismatch not only messed with the team’s performance but also highlighted the emotional and strategic letdown of not being able to make Westbrook fit, leading to a tough but necessary change for LeBron’s game.

After the trade, Bryce hit up Instagram with a pic of Westbrook edited into a Utah Jazz jersey, and his reaction was straight up: “L.” This post wasn’t just a casual shot—it showed Bryce’s raw feelings about Westbrook’s exit and how big the moment was. Now, by snubbing Curry off his top players’ list, was he trying to reprimand the decision made by the Lakers back then? What are your thoughts on this?