LeBron James surprisingly endorsed longtime rival Stephen Curry for 2020-21 NBA MVP — moments after a play-in matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors was officially set.

“We’re playing, in my opinion, the MVP of our league this year in Steph,” James said following the Lakers' regular-season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans.

“Just look what he’s done this year. Everybody counted him out this year. Everybody was saying that now that Klay is hurt, ‘Can Steph lead a team on his own? Can he carry the team on his own? Can he carry a team into the postseason? Can he keep a team afloat?' He’s done that, and more,” James said.

“He’s broke his own record for how many 3s he’s made this year. I think he’s scored like 30 points in the second half of games like eight times this year, or nine times this year. I don’t know anything else you’re looking for in an MVP. If Steph is not on Golden State’s team, then what are we looking at?”

Due to the shortened schedule, Curry did not quite break his single-season record for total 3s made in a season. However, he did set a career mark for 3s made (5.3) and attempted (12.7) per game, and shattered the record for most triples in a single month (96 in April).

The Lakers (42-30) finished their injury-riddled season with five victories in a row, but still wound up in the No. 7 spot. They'll host the No. 8-seeded Warriors (39-33) at Staples Center on Wednesday.

Golden State completed its up-and-down campaign with a 113-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Fittingly, the finale was fittingly punctuated by a wondrous onslaught from Curry, who rested his MVP case better than LeBron or Jack McCoy.

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant backed Curry for MVP, as well.

James compared Curry's 2020-21 campaign to Russell Westbrook's in 2016-17 — which remains the only time an MVP has come from a bottom-four playoff seed.

“We get caught up in the record sometimes,” LeBron lamented. “Instead of just saying, ‘Who had the best season that year?’ And Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year. It was the same when Russ won the MVP. Russ was the first guy to have a triple-double in a season since The Big O. And everyone threw the records out the window then when he won it … Russ deserved it that year, and, obviously, I don’t think Steph is gonna get it because of — that’s another conversation. In my eyes, he’s played the best basketball year-round.”

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, the only All-Star to appear in every game, is the presumed frontrunner for the trophy.

The Lakers capped their disappointing season with a 110-98 victory at the Smoothie King Center. James finished with 25 points and six assists in 27 minutes, doing just enough to extend his record streak of seasons averaging over 25 PPG to 17. He looked explosive until he tweaked his fragile right ankle in the fourth quarter.

Thankfully, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said there are “no issues” with the ankle, while LeBron stated that he'll “be fine” — then clarified that simply meant that he would be ready for the Dubs.

The Lakers star was reflective on, once again, intersecting with Curry on a massive stage. The two multiple-time MVPs — who were both born in the same hospital in Akron, OH — faced off in four consecutive Finals from 2015-19.

“For our paths to continue to cross in our career, it’s pretty unique and it’s pretty cool. Both of us being born in Northeast Ohio, born in Akron … we got that DNA. But our paths have been crossed again. And it’s always been a level of respect that’s even beyond the game of basketball, the way I feel for Steph. So that’s cool.”

James even compared his epic, multi-chapter career to “The Godfather” franchise, and noted his memorable battles against Curry and three of the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees.

“I guess you could look at my career like The Godfather trilogy,” he said. “It’s been literally like a three-part movie. You go the first seven years, then the next seven years, then I got a couple more years, then you go the final seven years. … Every obstacle that I’ve had, every challenge that I’ve had, every moment that I’ve had, has shaped who I am today, in Year 18. Having a rival that we had with Golden State in those years when we played them four straight times in the Finals shaped a part of my career.

“I’ve had some battles versus a lot of greats. Three of the greatest players to ever play the game just went into the Hall of Fame, and I had battles with all three of them. Obviously, my battles with Timmy in the Finals. My battles with KG in the East trying to get to the Finals, and obviously my battles in the regular season with Kob every time we played, in our two games per year. I’ve had a lot of battles and a lot of things that’s shaped who I am today. And I appreciated it and I’ve not taken any one of those moments for granted.”

LeBron's praise for Curry comes after his effusive behavior toward the sharpshooter at the All-Star Game in March, which generated speculation that James was not-so-subtly recruiting Curry to Los Angeles.

Either way, LeBron has come a long way since Halloween in 2016.

It might be all love now, but that will be moot when the championship-tested star duos (and coaches) clash in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, in as riveting of a matchup as whoever came up with the play-in tournament could have possibly envisioned. (I'm guessing they won't be fired.)

“They got a top-five defense and Steph's playing out of this world,” Vogel said.

Los Angeles took two of three from Golden State this season. Anthony Davis missed two of those contests.

“We gotta be prepared for everything they have,” James said. “They’ve got championship DNA, as well. They’ve been there, they know what it takes and what it feels like to be in pressure games, and we gotta be ready for that opportunity and that pressure.”

James went out of his way to supply anti-bulletin board material for the Warriors. What game is he playing?