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With just hours to go until tip-off of the most talked about game in NBA Play-In Tournament history, one prominent analyst is turning some heads when it comes to the comparison of Stephen Curry vs. LeBron James.
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Former two-time champion and current NBA on TNT analyst Kenny “The Jet” Smith had an eye-opening take on the endless debate between the Golden State Warriors superstar and the all-time great who is vying for back-to-back titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It goes without saying that there is a caveat the size of California that must be taken into consideration when comparing Steph vs. LeBron these days, and that is King James’ health. The 36-year-old is, in all likelihood, in the final stages of his career and this season in particular has seen James encounter numerous injuries.
So despite Curry’s superior play in recent months, it’s imperative to note that the Warriors best player suited up for 63 games this season, while the Lakers’ MVP only played in 45.
‘The Jet’ Sticking With Fellow Point Guard Over a Forward?
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GettyHouston Rockets point guard Kenny Smith tries to drive by Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd.
It seems like Smith may have been attempting to set up a preemptive defense against what is sure to be plenty of disagreement, by letting people know that LeBron is “great” and that Curry is the best player “as of right now”. However, it may not be a coincidence that both Curry and Smith are natural point guards, while LeBron has primarily played forward in his career.
Not only that, but “The Jet” is listed at an identical 6 feet 3 inches as Steph, while James stands at a towering 6 feet 9 inches. Curry also wears number 30, while Smith wore the same number for all but one of his 10 seasons in the Association.
While Smith – nor any player for that matter perhaps – can compare with Curry’s three-point shooting legacy, one of the most dangerous weapons for “The Jet” was his outside shooting. His most notable career highlight is arguably when he drained seven 3-pointers in an NBA Finals game – a record at the time – with the Houston Rockets against the Orlando Magic.
Smith finished his career with a three-point field goal percentage of 39.9% and was in the NBA’s top-ten for the statistic in three straight seasons from 1992 to 1995.
Is Steph Actually Better Than LeBron Right Now?
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GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
NBC Sports Authentic writer Dalton Johnson breaks down the argument of Steph being better than LeBron right now by looking at the numbers.
“The consensus is Curry was better than James in the regular season, and more available to his team. The two-time NBA MVP very well might have had his best season of any star player, leading the league in scoring at 32.0 points per game while also averaging 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, and shooting 42.1 percent from deep on 12.7 attempts per game,” Johnson writes.
Some who side with Smith on the Steph vs. LeBron debate may also forget that before going down with a sprained ankle in mid-March, LBJ was putting up insane numbers and was a front-runner for MVP. Not only that, but before the ankle sprain, James had played in all but one of the Lakers first 42 games.
After 72 hours of salivating over the Golden State vs. Los Angeles matchup and constant analysis of Stephen Curry vs. LeBron James, the time is nearly here. The Warriors and Lakers tip off at 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
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