Despite the history of his side-eye, LeBron James doesn’t bother to keep it subtle. This time, his signature snub has created an All-Star spectacle. His co-star? Stephen Curry. The 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend was designed to celebrate the unity of the league’s greatest icons. However, a split-second exchange (or lack thereof) between them, caught by the NBC cameras, has fans questioning if there is trouble in paradise between two of basketball’s biggest titans.

It happened while Stephen Curry, who didn’t play due to a runner’s knee, sat on the sidelines of Team Stripes. Many noticed the Los Angeles Lakers superstar appeared to “freeze out” the Golden State Warriors guard in a moment that has since exploded across social media.

During the first game between Team Stars and Team Stripes, the All-Stars were heading back to the bench, and Curry was there to welcome them. He had his hand stretched out to dap LeBron James, but like a cold gust of wind, the 41-year-old breezed past him and dapped Kawhi Leonard instead.

And just when Curry and I thought that James simply didn’t notice him, the Lakers veteran unveiled that cold, mean, dead stare at an oblivious Curry. This was all caught on camera with no assumptions whatsoever. Naturally, it had to go viral.

It seemed to bring back the chatter from the Team USA circles during the 2024 Paris Olympics. That time too, fans felt that James was ice-cold to Curry despite their on-court chemistry. Although it didn’t look like it on Netflix’s Starting 5.

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Whether there’s some frosty tension or nothing, this singular moment added a layer of drama to a rushed All-Star tournament.

Fans break down the LeBron James-Stephen Curry cold war

This awkward moment created a fun game for fans to dissect every frame of the NBA broadcast and play detective to find the motive. Many viewers were quick to joke about the recent rumors surrounding Kevin Durant and tensions within the veteran ranks.

“When you read the KD files and Steph’s mentioned 300 times,” an observer commented.

If you were too absorbed in the All-Star Games, while Kawhi Leonard was torching Team World, leaked chats from Kevin Durant‘s alleged burner account surfaced online. Those chats trashed his teammates, including a shocking indirect jab at Russell Westbrook. It’s unclear whether the Houston Rockets veteran spoke about Curry at all in these private chats, but a fan felt Durant stoked the fires.

“Kd might have said something to him 😉😉,” an observer claimed.

The drama reached such a peak that fans began comparing the internal politics to the music industry’s biggest rivalries, i.e., “Team Drake vs team Kendrick.”

Another fan called it the “weirdest off court All-Star game…🤔.”

Those who have followed James since his early days felt it was a calculated move of psychological warfare.

“He knew what he was doing,” one observer claimed.

“He brought that 3-1 comeback energy to him lol 😂,” another fan wrote, connecting it to James’ legendary competitive drive.

This was a reference to the 2015-16 NBA Finals during which the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a superhuman comeback to win three consecutive games and snatch the title in seven. With Draymond Green triggering the inner beast in James with a taunt that he regrets to this day, there was no stopping the younger version of the Akron Hammer from then on.

However, not everyone was convinced of a feud, as some loyalists tried to give James the benefit of the doubt.

“Just didn’t see him,” one fan wrote.

Maybe they’re right. A reporter recently caught up with James and asked about playing with veterans like Curry and Durant, two players he’s only called teammates on the international stage or at the All-Star Games.

“It’s always a pleasure and an honor to see those guys,” James said with no intention to shade them. “When it comes to me, Steph and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers, for sure. And it’s been great to be able to have some moments with those guys, versus those guys, teaming up with those guys.”

Some fans were even sure this had been orchestrated by a team of publicists to spice up the All-Star Games. The theory brought back that Jimmy Butler meme as if James and Curry were reading off a script that said, “Then look right back at him 🤨.”

One fan summarized the attention this off-the-cuff moment is getting perfectly: “NBA turning into a drama show 😂😭😭😂😂😭😭😭😭😂.”

After a poor turnout on Day 1, underwhelming performances in the Slam Dunk contest with Jaxson Hayes getting bashed online, and a glimmer of hope with Damian Lillard winning the three-point contest, a lot hinged on the All-Star Games on Sunday to give fans their money’s worth. After all the drama, despite a slightly one-sided final, it somewhat did.