"I used to hate Steph" - LeBron James' former teammate says Warriors-Cavaliers Finals rivalry sparked hatred for Steph Curry

Former teammate of LeBron James, JR Smith, opened up about his hatred playing against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Smith appeared as a guest on Shannon Sharpe and Chad "Ocho" Smith's show, "Nightcap," on Thursday.

From 2015 to 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers played against Golden State for the NBA championship. At that time, Smith was the starting shooting guard for the Cavs after getting traded by the New York Knicks. The games provided iconic basketball moments and sparked a rivalry between Curry and James.

While they played against each other during those four years, Smith didn't feel good about the Warriors star.

"I used to hate him, I ain't gonna lie," Smith said. "That man and Klay, I used to hate him, and I was cool with him at one point. We played golf together, went to CP [Chris Paul] wedding together, had a good old time.(29:49)

"Then outta nowhere, we get in this situation where we play against each other in the Finals consistent. I'm like, 'Man, I hate this little dude.' And I know he hate me at the time, for sure ... you can't do nothing but tip your hat at the end of the day. It was competition."

Curry and his team won three championships during their four Finals meetings. Smith and the Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the iconic 2016 title.

After their four-year battle on the biggest stage in the league, the two never played against each other in the Finals. Curry is still with Golden State, while the 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year joined the LA Lakers in the 2019-20 season and won his second title.

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How did JR Smith perform against the Warriors in the Finals?

JR Smith was an integral part of the Cavs' system during their four-year run in the Finals. While he wasn't a superstar, he provided much-needed offense from beyond the arc. In his first Finals run with the team, he averaged 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds on 31.2% shooting from the field.

In 2016, the shooting guard averaged 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in seven games. Smith had a better series shooting threes and made 35.6% of his long-range attempts. The following year, the 6-foot-6 starter had 11.8 points and 1.6 assists while he shot 58.1% from three.

In 2018, the Cavs were swept, but Smith still gave what the team demanded of him. He averaged 9.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Smith retired in 2020 after winning his second title with the Lakers.