Before naming Steph Curry as dream teammate, LeBron James once took cheeky shot at Warriors star at 2016 NBA title winning parade

The rivalry between LeBron James and Steph Curry reached its peak following the Cleveland Cavaliers’ stunning upset of the Golden State Warriors in 2016. James, alongside Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, rallied the Cavs to a 3-1 comeback against the 73-9 Warriors for the championship. It was the biggest reversal in finals history and allowed James to deliver on his promise of bringing glory to a success-starved city.

During the Cavaliers’ 2016 championship parade, an estimated 1.3 million people took to the streets to celebrate. It was reportedly a record number of fans supporting a basketball team’s title-winning campaign.

During LeBron James' speech, he thanked everyone on the team. When he complimented and appreciated Kevin Love, he also had this to say:

“We talk about 'The Shot,' we talk about 'The Block' but 'The Stop?' But the stop, that was on a two-time MVP, by the way. That was on a two-time MVP, we got that stop, but Imma let that go.”

LeBron James emphasized the “two-time MVP” part and seemed to snicker when he mentioned it. He was unquestionably referring to Steph Curry. The Golden State Warriors superstar became the only unanimous league MVP in history after leading the Dubs to a 73-9 season.

In Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from the grave with spectacular performances from James and Kyrie Irving. In the closing seconds of the said game, Kevin Love also made an unforgettable play.

Cleveland switched when Draymond Green provided Curry a screen and then dragged Irving along with him to the corner. Curry’s dribbling and quickness didn’t matter as Love stayed disciplined and eventually forced the deadliest shooter in the NBA to miss.

Years after taking a shot at Steph Curry in the Cavaliers’ 2016 championship parade, LeBron James shocked many with a certain comment. In “The Shop,” James was asked to name the active player he wants to play with the most.

Here's James' response:

"In today's game, sh-- there's some m-----f------ in today's game, but Steph Curry. Steph Curry's the one that I wanna play with for sure, in today's game.

"I love everything about that guy. Lethal. When he get out his car, you better guard him right from the moment he pulls up to the arena. ... You might wanna guard him when he get out of the bed. Swear to god. He's serious."

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LeBron James is looking to play with Steph Curry and other NBA superstars in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

Team USA suffered an embarrassing loss to Canada in the battle for third place in the recently-concluded FIBA World Cup. Many fans had already predicted that the Americans’ lineup wasn’t going good enough to win the gold.

Following the Americans’ sorry campaign, LeBron James reportedly announced his interest in donning the national team colors again. He was also rumored to have called Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and others to play with him.

James’ reported commitment has spurred many NBA stars to show their interest as well. Dwight Howard, who last played in Taiwan, even wanted to join the team the LA Lakers superstar is planning to build.

“King James” only has a few years left in him as an elite basketball star. Playing alongside Steph Curry might be the icing on the cake of a GOAT-worthy career.