LeBron James’ Rivalry vs the Spurs Over the Years – Gregg Popovich’s Team That Almost Ruined “The Decision”, Now Has Victor Wembanyama

USA Today via Reuters

LeBron James has had a storied NBA career. He has been dominating the league for over two decades and continues to play at an elite level at 38. But LeBron’s road to greatness was not as easy as it seems. He had to go through some of the toughest competition in the league to win his 4 Championships. That gave birth to some historic rivalries along the way. One of the biggest hurdles in LeBron’s career was the San Antonio Spurs.

Let’s dive deeper into the historic rivalry between LeBron and the Spurs, and how it is entering a new era with Spurs’ new superstar Victor Wembanyama.

LeBron James vs. the San Antonio Spurs

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The San Antonio Spurs have been in the way of LeBron James’ career since he began his journey in Cleveland. King James got swept by a prime Tim Duncan in his first NBA finals appearance in 2007. LeBron was on the verge of one of the most historic Championship runs in history, but Gregg Popovich’s team shattered his dream of bringing home a title. A disappointed LeBron James took his talents to South Beach in 2010 and joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. He promised to win multiple championships ahead of his Heat run. However, the San Antonio Spurs stood in his way again and nearly ruined “The Decision”.

The Akron Hammer met the Spurs in the NBA Finals for the second time in 2013. Tim Duncan and Co. nearly ruined LeBron’s legacy once again as they took a 3-2 lead in the series and were just 5 seconds away from winning another title. The Spurs had a 3-point lead over Miami with under 10 seconds to go in Game 6.

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The league was so sure of San Antonio winning the title that they started preparing for the Championship ceremony before the game even ended. However, Ray Allen hit one of the most clutch three-pointers in history and tied the game, saving LeBron’s legacy. King James went on to win his second title and solidified his place among the greatest players in history.

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The new era of LeBron-Spurs rivalry?

It is crazy to think that LeBron James is still going strong at age 38. The rivalry between King James and the Spurs slowed down when their Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili announced their retirement. But the Spurs have entered a new era after drafting the 19-year-old prodigy Victor Wembanyama. Now that the Spurs have another superstar in their team, they hope to reignite their rivalry with King James.

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LeBron is gunning for his 5th career championship, and Victor Wembanyama is starting to understand how to play NBA basketball. The two superstars may meet in the playoffs in a few years and give birth to another historic rivalry in LeBron’s Hall of Fame career.