Skip to main content

Stephen Curry Reveals Why LeBron James Followed Him to Warriors Bench During Game 1

Before the Warriors eventually fell to the Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday night, there was a moment from the game that went viral between the game’s biggest stars. When Stephen Curry was walking on the sideline back to his team’s bench, LeBron James could be seen walking him all the way down to his seat and had something to say to his old rival who was subbing. 

After the game, Curry explained what the interaction was and it was nowhere near as serious as people thought. 

“He was just joking around about having to guard me all the way till I got to the bench,” Curry told reporters after Golden State’s 117–112 loss. 

James has always praised Curry throughout their storied battles, but he was right to be cautious. Curry was coming off a historic Game 7 win over the Kings on Sunday where he scored a playoff career-high 50 points—the most ever in Game 7 history. 

Los Angeles had some success on that end of the floor Tuesday, holding the two-time MVP to 10-for-24 shooting from the field. Curry having a big game is more an inevitability than anything, so James was right to stay on him until he was seated out of range—if such a thing exists.