Getty Stephen Curry and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics during a game in April 2016.
Who is the best point guard in NBA history? Is it the league’s all-time assist leader, John Stockton? How about triple-double machine Oscar Robertson or the Western Conference Finals-bound Chris Paul?
Former Boston Celtics all-star point guard Isaiah Thomas has another player in mind – Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
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Thomas – who last played a full NBA season in 2016-2017 and played in three games with the New Orleans Pelicans this April – was asked for his G.O.A.T point guard pick during a conversation with Taylor Rooks and Channing Frye on TNT’s NBA Twitter Live show on Sunday night. After some hesitation, Thomas stated his case for Curry.
Thomas Says Curry ‘Changed the Game’ on ‘Every Level’
GettyGolden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in May.
While never quite among the the NBA elites, Thomas is certainly one of the best final draft picks in league history. Though he was selected 60th by the Sacramento Kings in 2011 and was almost always the smallest player on the court at 5-foot-9, Thomas’ statistics and accolades speak for themselves, and his choice and reasoning is certainly worth diving into.
“I’m gonna go with @StephenCurry30… changed the game of basketball on every level.”
–@isaiahthomas ranks Steph as the best point guard of all time on #NBATwitterLive
Thomas’ take that Curry “changed the game of basketball on every level” seems like a bold statement on the surface, but when fans think to the pre-Curry days and see just how massive of a difference there is now when it comes to three-point shooting in the NBA, Thomas’ claim doesn’t seem too crazy. Curry is, in many minds, already the best shooter in NBA history, but is so much more than that.
Two-time league MVPs don’t come around every day, and the highest individual award isn’t given to players who are one-dimensional. Curry is without a doubt one of the greatest point guards, let alone players, in the modern era.
Who Else Made Thomas’ Top-5 Point Guard List?
GettyNBA Hall-of-Famers Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas during “A Tribute to Magic Johnson – The official tip-off to NBA All-Star 2004 Entertainment”.
Where many may have a problem with Thomas’ take is the fact that Steph is still an active player. Immediately after Curry at No. 1 in the point guard department, the two-time Celtics’ all-star puts two hall-of-famers in Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas (no relation) at second and third in no particular order.
Thomas then goes back to a couple of current players in Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving for the fourth and fifth slots respectively. While Curry is a no-brainer for the list of best players in recent memory, and Paul and Irving will join Steph in entering the Hall of Fame someday, maybe “I.T.” will want to reconsider some of the already retired all-time greats like Robertson and Stockton when it comes to G.O.A.T point guard status.
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