LeBron James was candid when he revealed that he doesn’t view the San Antonio Spurs as a personal rival.
James said there’s no bad blood between him and any of the Spurs; James instead cites a healthy amount of respect between the two sides.
He even compared them to the standard bearers of the NFL.
“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.”