LeBron seems to have a high bar for the term 'rivalry'

LeBron James doubled down Sunday on comments from the day before that he doesn't consider the Golden State Warriors a rival of his Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I don't think we have a rival in our game today," James said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "We've had two great Finals appearances the last two years, but I had the same with San Antonio when I was in Miami. We weren't rivals. And I think I played those guys more, so I wouldn't look at it as rivals."

The Cavs meet the Warriors for the final time this regular season on Monday in Oakland. Cleveland has won four straight meetings dating back to Game 5 of last June's NBA Finals.

Whether James is throwing shade along the lines of reportedly featuring a Stephen Curry dummy on the floor of his Halloween party is unknown. Like his comments Saturday, he did again compliment the Warriors on their accomplishments the past three seasons.

"They're a great team, a hell of a team, probably one of the best teams ever assembled," James said. "And they're going to continue to get better and better as the season goes along."

To imply that the Warriors aren't a true rival of the Cavaliers however, is a little far-fetched. One of the most storied championship rivalries of all time - the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics in the 1980s - featured only three Finals meetings between the two teams during that decade.

The Cavs and the Warriors have already met twice in the Finals, and could well be headed for a third straight showdown this June. And when it comes to the Celtics, James has had no problem using the term "rivalry" in discussing his meetings with them throughout his first tour in Cleveland and later with the Heat.

Others seem to have no problem with the "R" word. Kevin Durant said as much Saturday.

"It's a rivalry, it feels like," new Cavaliers addition Kyle Korver added Sunday. "I don't know how many of them there are in the NBA right now, but this feels like it's at the top."