LeBron James has interesting take on Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry

Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James recently shared a take on his old beef with the Golden State Warriors.

In an interview that aired Tuesday, James joined Steph Curry and Kevin Durant for an “NBA Today” Christmas special. King James famously led the Cleveland Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals against Curry’s Warriors from 2015 to 2018. Durant joined Golden State for the last two years.

During the interview, LeBron likened the four-year Warriors-Cavaliers feud to a good, old-fashioned rap beef.

“Those four straight years, Cleveland versus Golden State, it was literally like East Coast versus West Coast,” said James. “It was like a rap beef. Golden State owned the West Coast and the Cavs owned the East Coast. It was like a rap beef.”

LeBron James with KD and Steph on the Cavaliers-Warriors rivalry of the 2010s 😂

"Those four straight years, Cleveland versus Golden State, … It was like a rap beef." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ycTg7m5Q1z

— ESPN (@espn) December 24, 2024

It’s hard to argue with James’ take, given just how captivating those Warriors-Cavs battles were to the general public. The matchups drew massive mainstream attention similar to how Kendrick Lamar and Drake did during their recent (and arguably still ongoing) rap beef.

The seven-game Warriors-Cavaliers clash in 2016 remains widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA Finals series in league history.

With the NBA seemingly in a state of parity, it may take years or even decades before we have a rivalry reach the same magnitude as Warriors-Cavaliers did in the 2010s.