Despite not playing each other Wednesday, LeBron James felt compelled to defend Stephen Curry from criticism. James's Cleveland Cavaliers beat up on the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena, and after the four-time MVP and two-time champion talked about the trend of retired players often criticizing current stars and claiming they'd never be as successful in a previous era.
Curry is the most recent active player to be brought into those cross hair, with Oscar Robertson and others downplaying the historic season the Golden State Warriors and the reigning MVP are enjoying right now.
"Yeah, for me personally in my career I've done nothing but big-up the guys who paved the way for us," James said. "I'm respectful to all the guys who paved the way, the greats, guys who were role players, guys who were part of a championship team or was not. I've always been respectful, so it does kind of suck when you've got guys who played before us and paved the way for us (and) ... they like to talk down on a lot of our players, saying, 'Well if they played in our era it wouldn't be the same.'"
James, whose powers of memory are regarded highly in the basketball community, immediately pointed out an instance in 2013 that mirrored what's going on with Curry right now.
"I heard Dennis Rodman say if I played in their era I'd just be an average player - yeah, about me, that I'd be just an average player," James said. "And they say the same things about Steph, 'If Steph played in our era, then we'd be more physical with him and we'd go at him.' And it sucks because we're just trying to carry the torch for the next group to come behind us.
"I just want to be able to leave a mark personally, and be able to leave this game, this beautiful game, when I'm done with it for the next group of guys. I'm never one to talk down on a group of guys. If they can play, they can play."
James will face off against retiring Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for the final time at the Staples Center on Thursday night.
