Stephen Curry gets brutally honest about Lakers-Warriors matchup

The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are due to square off in the NBA’s postseason play-in tournament on Wednesday night.

Lakers star LeBron James already gave his blunt thoughts on facing off against Stephen Curry and the Warriors earlier this week, and on Tuesday it was Curry’s turn.

“Nobody thought we were even going to be in this position,” Curry said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “A lot of people had us way, way, way down the standings coming in after Klay got hurt, so there’s a lot of things that we already flipped on its head to this point, so we might as well keep going.”

Because of that, Curry is set on proving the haters wrong.

Despite that, and although he obviously still wants to beat the Lakers, Curry also acknowledged that he greatly appreciates the praise James has heaped on him this week.

“I respect him for it and I appreciate it,” Curry said, per Mark Medina of USA Today. “We all know as competitors, though, when the lights are on, I can talk about how great he is until I’m blue in the face and he can do the same, it doesn’t change how we approach that competition when we’re out there.”

James and Curry have a fascinating relationship. They spent many years as rivals when the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals on a seemingly annual basis. Then this past season, with Curry’s long-term status suddenly in doubt, James worked hard to recruit him to the Lakers.

Regardless of what happens on Wednesday, it’s clear that the respect these two men have for each other grows yearly.