LeBron praises Curry: 'Don't get fooled by that smile'

After facing the Golden State Warriors in back-to-back Finals, LeBron James knows better than anybody not to underestimate the abilities of Steph Curry.

"He's definitely a great guy," James said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." "He's a fierce competitor, I'll tell you that, so don't get fooled by that smile when he comes up here."

A student of the game, LeBron is more than aware that Curry's struggles in this year's Finals were not an accurate representation of his potential, especially after watching the Warriors point guard rack up back-to-back MVP awards the last two seasons.

While they may be on different teams, James can't help but take solace in Curry's success these past few seasons considering the pair of MVPs were born so close to another.

"I think the best thing for me is that we're two of the most talked-about athletes in the world, and we were both born in Akron, Ohio," James said. "So that means a lot to me."

After last season's epic conclusion, the debate over who the best player in the league is will likely continue into 2016-17, where both LeBron and Curry will look to lead their teams to the promised land once again.

- with h/t to Bleacher Report