Ever since Kawhi Leonard defeated LeBron James in the 2014 Finals to win his first Finals MVP, there has been this prevailing thought around the league that while Leonard and James respect each other's game, they aren't really friends off the court.

That narrative took off this past summer after Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers instead of joining forces with LeBron and Anthony Davis on the Los Angeles Lakers. People close to Leonard never saw him playing second or even third fiddle on the Lakers or playing with James.

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LeBron and Leonard are currently fighting for bragging rights in Los Angeles, which means their fondness for one another is probably going to sour as the season goes along. One anonymous Eastern Conference general manager isn't surprised by that, via Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report:

An Eastern Conference general manager, his identity concealed because the league prohibits executives from discussing other teams' players, agrees that the James-Leonard rivalry is apparent to him, even if the combatants won't come right out and say it.

“I would say there's mutual respect but that there's an appropriate level of fear as well,” the GM says. “They know each other are really talented. But there's not a lot of admiration. I don't see them going out to dinner.”

The Lakers and Clippers face off on Christmas Day. Leonard and the Clippers defeated LeBron and the Lakers in the first game of the season, so you know The King is going to want to get his revenge on Wednesday.