Curry excited for rivalry with LeBron's Lakers
After meeting LeBron James' team in four consecutive NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is looking forward to a budding rivalry with James and the reformed Los Angeles Lakers.
"A whole new-look Laker team with some of the young kids -- it should be fun, the Bay Area and L.A. and the whole thing," Curry told the Associated Press on Monday. "When I first got into the league, Oracle would be buzzing any time the Lakers came in.
"There probably will be a revolution of Laker fans that are going to try to creep in, but I hope Bay Area and Dub Nation we keep control of that competition because we're on top right now."
Curry and James met just twice a year in the regular season while in different conferences, with Curry's Warriors winning six of eight meetings over the last four years. Of course, they met in the Finals after each of those four seasons, with Curry's team winning three titles and 15 of 22 of Finals games.
Now in the Pacific Division together, the teams will meet four times each season, and it should be far more competitive than recent Warriors-Lakers contests. Over the last five seasons, Golden State is 16-4 against the Lakers, with all four losses coming at Staples Center. The Warriors swept L.A. last year, although both games in Los Angeles went to overtime.
The specific dates for their meetings this season will be unveiled when the NBA schedule is released Wednesday.
Curry also touched on the addition of DeMarcus Cousins, who joined the Warriors in free agency on a one-year deal via the mid-level exception in July.
"It's interesting because nobody going into free agency thought about DeMarcus as an option then all of a sudden he found his way onto our team," Curry said. "So for us to have a new dynamic, a new look.
"Whenever he's fully healthy it should be amazing. I think we got better."
Cousins, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, is expected to be worked in slowly, likely sitting out the start of the regular season. His addition gives the Warriors five starters who each have at least three career All-Star appearances, and a total of 27 as a group.
--Field Level Media
