NBA rivalries often stem from the players' competitive nature. But while rivalries are often healthy for the sport, any player with sportsmanship knows how to give respect when it's due. As a result, this paves the way for friendships and bonds that transcend beyond the court. Here is a look at 10 former NBA rivals turned good friends.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry

After dueling against each other for four-straight NBA Finals, both LeBron James and Stephen Curry have confessed about their resentment against each other at the peak of their rivalry. In their NBA Finals showdowns, Curry won three of their four meetings.

On the other hand, James pulled off a massive upset after leading the Cavs over Curry's 73-9 Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

Fortunately, a team-up between the two for Team USA ultimately allowed the duo to not only work together but to become close friends. In fact, James made sure not to take the team-up for granted, as Team USA won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry

From Kevin Durant's time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was Stephen Curry and the Warriors who prevented them from another Finals appearance. In fact, Curry's Warriors forced Durant's Thunder to blow a 3-1 playoff series lead in the Western Conference Finals in 2016. This paved the way for Durant to join his rival Curry in Golden State.

After that, the duo won back-to-back NBA titles together in three-straight Finals appearances. Moreover, the duo reunited and had no shortage of good words for each other. But more importantly, they also propelled Team USA to another gold medal.

LeBron James and Draymond Green

Speaking of dueling against the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James also had several physical and heated altercations with Draymond Green. In fact, who can forget the time James drew a flagrant foul against Green that led to the latter's one-game suspension in their 2016 NBA Finals clash that paved the way for James' historic title in his home city.

However, it seems that these two players have already squashed their beef against each other. Not only are they clients of Klutch Sports, but Green certainly didn't hold back when James went on to make history. In fact, Green even labeled their relationship as a brotherhood.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird

From their rivalry in college, all the way into the NBA, it was safe to say that the competitive nature of these two eventual Basketball Hall of Famers nearly spilled beyond the hardwood. Besides, these two superstars often dueled against each other for championships.

However, it was a commercial feature for Converse that got these two players to build a bond off the court. Thanks to that Converse commercial, both Larry Bird and Magic Johnson became close friends.

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant

It's safe to say things weren't well in Los Angeles between the duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Although they were able to lead the Purple and Gold to a three-peat run, it was an awfully ugly breakup when the Big Diesel left the Lakers.

While there was clear animosity between the iconic duo, with time, Bryant and O'Neal eventually squashed their beef with apologies from one another off the court. In fact, both these players were even welcomed into each other's families.

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley

Back in the day, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkey had several heated exchanges on the hardwood. They were bitter rivals on the hardwood that banged against one another in the post.

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Nowadays, however, the duo continue to contribute to the NBA as analysts for TNT. While they do at times dig something from the past, more often than not, it ends up with these two iconic big men laughing their hearts out to the entertainment of NBA fans.

Kobe Bryant and Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes and Kobe Bryant carved out an iconic moment when the former faked an inbounds pass to the latter's face. However, Bryant didn't even flinch at Barnes' antics.

Nonetheless, after that moment, Bryant reached out to Barnes, who claims that it was this moment that brought these two rivals together in the first place. Bryant recruited Barnes to Los Angeles as they both forged a close friendship together.

Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond

Not so long ago, Joel Embiid made it a habit to trash talk Andre Drummond when these two All-Star big men clashed against each other. But just a few seasons later, Drummond took his talents to Philadelphia, making these two rivals turned teammates.

While nothing serious happened between the two, just recently, Drummond signed to return to the Sixers as Embiid's backup big once again. Drummond opened up about Embiid, claiming that they both pushed each other to be better, earning the respect of one another.

Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. 

With Paul George breaking the headlines to leave the Clippers in favor of the Sixers, George is keen on playing competitive basketball with the hopes of landing his first NBA title. However, in the process, fans realized that George will have to play alongside Kelly Oubre Jr., who's no stranger to giving the former some physicality in their encounters.

Although these two players have faced off in moments filled with tension, it seems like the Sixers fans have nothing to worry about in their turf.

Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley

Although Patrick Beverley will no longer be playing in the NBA, fans still remember him for his hustle and defense. Furthermore, his involvement in heated altercations were a part of his identity. While Beverley was fond of getting inside the heads of players, one of his notable targets was former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.

Both players had no shortage of sweet nothings and insults against each other even off the court. However, Westbrook and Beverley came to be on the same page when they played for the Lakers briefly. The team-up was a bond great enough to continue being friends even after their stint with the Purple and Gold.