"It was like a rap beef" - LeBron James draws spot-on analogy to reflect on Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals rivalry

Not too long ago, LeBron James was in the middle of a fierce rivalry between his Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. Now, enough time has passed for James to put everything into perspective.

In a preview of the "NBA OGs Convo" that ABC will air on Christmas Day, James drew an analogy that Steph Curry and Kevin Durant — who used to play together for Golden State — pretty much agreed with.

"Those four straight years, Cleveland versus Golden State, it was literally like the East Coast versus the West Coast," James said as Curry and Durant smiled knowingly. "It was like a rap beef."

LBJ, a known connoisseur of rap music, is referring to the '90s hip-hop rivalry that involved Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight on the West Coast and The Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy on the East Coast.

Just like the rappers who took part in that rivalry, James' Cavaliers and Curry's Warriors went hard at each other as the whole world watched. James believed that his battles in the NBA Finals against Curry and Durant (even when the sweet-shooting forward was with Oklahoma City in 2012) brought out the best in him.

NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers - Source: Imagn

"It didn't matter if it was finals appearances between my team against Steph, with or without K, or my finals appearance against K," James said. "We all in a position where we felt like we had the opportunity to get more rings, like, because of each other."

Against KD- and Curry-led teams, James won two titles: one in 2012 as part of the Miami Heat and one in 2016 after a pulsating seven-game series between the Cavs and the Warriors. On the other hand, the Curry and KD partnership (along with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 against James' Cavaliers.

LeBron James: "Always fun" to do battle with Steph Curry

For the fourth time in his illustrious career, James will go up against Curry in a Christmas Day game when the LA Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

James spoke about his Yuletide faceoffs against Curry after the Lakers' 117-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

"Any time you get an opportunity to be on the court and compete versus one of the greatest to ever play this game, you do not take it for granted,” James said. “You don’t know how many more opportunities you are going to get to go against each other, so it’s always fun.”

James, who turns 40 on Monday, is in his 22nd season in the league, and Curry, who turns 37 in March, has acknowledged that retirement is looming for him as well. As such, any hardcourt clash between these two all-time greats will be, more than ever, must-see TV.