Getty/Tim Nwachukwu LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors laughs together before the start of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
With the Golden State Warriors on a bit of a break before the NBA Finals get underway, television shows have been tirelessly debating the legacy of the Warriors and certain players. Whether it be comparing players from different eras or stirring up controversy, sports shows have been saturated by endless content.
During the May 27 edition of Get Up! on ESPN, Patrick Beverley was discussing how the Warriors could have easily won from 2015 to 2019, and then the debate of Steph Curry being in the same conversation would not even be debated.
Long time LeBron James insider Brian Windhorst started laughing and chimed in about how James would think this entire conversation was a joke.
“If Steph Curry wins the Finals and the MVP, when you talk about a guy with four rings, two MVPs, and a Finals MVP, you’re talking about the uber elite in the history of the game, [Michael] Jordan, LeBron, [Bill] Russell—Steph would be like five guys that have ever done that.
But LeBron James would laugh at the concept that they’re being compared like this.”
Both Beverley and Vince Carter got defensive and said that they were not comparing James to Curry, but simply just complimenting Curry’s accolades and saying that Curry belongs in the James’ conversation.
This is not an apples and oranges situation. Talking about if someone belongs in the same conversation with another is pretty much the same as comparing.
Is Steph Curry a Top-10 All-Time Player?
In the same segment, Windhorst admits that Curry should be considered a top-10, 12 all-time players in league history.
On a competing tv show, First Things First on FS1, Chris Broussard made a similar point about how Curry is a top-15 player and that he’s closing in on the top-10. However, Broussard points out that not a lot of those top players could say they changed the game as much as Curry has.
“Steph’s in the Top 15 & he’s closing in on the Top 10. … The only way to fairly compare guys of different sizes, positions & skillsets is impact on winning. That is what Steph does. We’re going to have to start considering him as inching towards the Top 10.” — @Chris_Broussard
Remember, Curry came into the league when the three-point shot was still not as widely used as it is today. Curry’s ability to know down the three with great efficiency throughout his career has been a huge factor in seeing the 3-point efficiency go up across the league.
On the other hand, James is simply a rare specimen that does not grow on trees. Not everyone can be 6’9” and be able to possess the skillset and agility that James has over the years. Curry is built differently. His size is more similar to the average human, and anyone can practice shooting threes, but not everyone can bulldoze to the rim with power and finish with force.
Warriors Big Three Are Biggest Winners Statistically of All-Time
In what could be considered a surprise but not, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Curry are the top 3 players with the best winning percentage in NBA playoff history.
Best winning percentage in NBA playoffs history (min 100 games):
.705 — Draymond Green
.705 — Klay Thompson
.695 — Steph Curry
The trio has been undefeated in the Conference Finals during their entire careers with a 6-0 record. They hope to improve their Finals record to 4-2 when they start the championship round next week.