Stephen Curry and LeBron James after the Warriors' 125â€"108 exhibition win over the Lakers on Oct. 7, 2023. / John Hefti-Imagn Images

In the 2020sâ€"and particularly in the last few yearsâ€"every matchup between forward LeBron James's Los Angeles Lakers and guard Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors has taken on special meaning. There is a growing sense that both legendsâ€"and particularly Jamesâ€"may not have much time left in the NBA.

Amid this bummer of a backdrop, James provided a moment of levity before the Lakers' and Warriors' game Wednesday evening. As he emerged from the tunnel for warmups, he immediately raced over to block a midrange shot attempt from Curry.

The future Hall of Famers then hugged and chatted while fans took in the scene.

This has been a banner year for positive press surrounding the Curry-James duo, even as the NBA's product has taken a barrage of criticism. The duo teamed up to help the United States win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris in the summer, putting a neat (if informal) bow on their era of basketball.

In the short term, though, both players' squads could badly use a win in the Western Conference's perpetually crowded playoff race.