For the first time since losing the 2014 NBA Finals and bouncing from South Beach, LeBron James will face his tormentors from San Antonio Wednesday night.
And despite missing out on a title in two out of three tries against the Spurs, LeBron doesn’t view them as rivals.
There’s no bad blood between him and any of the Spurs; James instead cites a healthy amount of respect between the two sides.
Per the NOMG:
“I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry, I would say it’s a mutual respect,” James said on Tuesday. “It’s great competition and they definitely help me grow along the way, and hopefully I push them too.”
“I’ve always loved playing against them and playing against Pop (Popovich), that’s someone I admire and respect so much,” James said. “Obviously the Big 3 as well […] The thing I most admire is they work a championship mindset every single day on and off the floor,” James added. “Do they win the championship every single year? No, obviously, we see that. But I think good karma comes with how you approach the game and how you approach off the court as well.”
“It’s the Patriots of the NBA,” James said. “They come into your building and they want to embarrass you. They’re going to execute at a high level and they’re not going to beat themselves.”
