Who doesn’t like some heated entertainment? No! Don’t get the wrong idea, we don’t want gladiator battles. But, sometimes, intense games are everything the NBA fans need. Especially when the biggest names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry come face-to-face. They need to set aside the camaraderie and appreciation for some real business. However, in the current basketball scenes, James vs. Curry might be one of the greatest rivalries of all time, if not the greatest.

But, Bobby Marks disagrees. The NBA Front Office insider for ESPN sat for an important conversation with on First Take. When asked “Is the rivalry between Steph and LeBron one of the greatest in the NBA or the greatest in the NBA?” Marks responded: “I disagree with you.” But why? After all, we are talking about two of the biggest stars in the NBA’s history! But their rivalry isn’t what you’d call a rivalry altogether.

“I think when I hear the word rivalry, I hear the word dislike. I see two players that have a genuine like for each other, certainly off the court and on the court here, “ Bobby Marks remarked. Well, Bron’s admiration for Curry and vice versa isn’t a secret. In reality, on Steph’s debut game in the NBA for the Warriors, it was LeBron James who had come forward to make the rookie feel comfortable.

With time, the rivalry that fans had thought would unfold turned more into brotherhood. But then, watching the two stars on the court has been a delight. Until, of course, Marks pointed out the things we’ve missed out on for so long. Taking us back to the 80s, the analyst continued: “I’m going to go all the way back, certainly to those Magic-Bird teams. Those Lakers, and Celtics teams. I’m even going to throw out Knicks, Bulls, Ewing, and Jordan here. Those are the teams that disliked each other here. I just don’t see that even with LeBron and Cleveland now with the Lakers.”

Oh, the classic rivalries! We don’t see such things these days, nope. This reminds us of the iconic Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks showdown at MSG in 1986—Michael Jordan vs. Patrick Ewing. MJ’s 30-point game and a thrilling face-off couldn’t stop Ewing from having the last laugh. Surely, the current NBA misses such moments. And maybe Bobby Marks is pointing out this: switching teams also didn’t bring out LeBron James’ rivalry, let alone build a dislike-laden rivalry against Curry. “I don’t see that dislike on the court,” Marks clarified. “Remember, out of all the games that they played on Christmas, this is only the second that’s been competitive in those games.”

But well, we can say that along with the league and basketball, the rivalry style has also evolved with time. While we’re on the topic of LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry, let’s look at the stats over the years. What has this iconic ‘rivalry’ looked like since 2009?

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry: Head-to-head stat over the years

Stephen Curry’s debut in 2009 and the years that passed revolutionized the NBA. Who would’ve thought that shooting 3-pointers would be an art exclusive to the baby-faced assassin? But rewind six seasons and the poster king LeBron James’ debut altered the league’s trajectory too. And every time these two stars met, it was always a colossal explosion of competition and pure basketball.

They faced each other a total of 53 times in NBA games. Stephen Curry has a 29-24 winning record over LeBron James, including a 17-11 record in Playoffs. Point-wise, Bron has the upper hand over Curry. With an average of 30.4 ppg over Steph’s 25.3 ppg, the 39-year-old legend keeps reminding us why he rules the court. However, Curry is no less!

So, Bobby Marks’ claims are a major reality check for the stars who are at the twilight of their career. Surely, the rivalry might have lacked on occasions, but entertainment? That’s been on an all-time high with LeBron James facing Stephen Curry. Do you agree with Bobby Marks? Tell us in the comment section below!