Stephen Curry is now a four-time champion after just 13 NBA seasons. How high should this elevate him on the NBA's all-time pyramid? Who is his closest comparison among the game's legendary superstars?
Curry is this generation’s humble assassin. His closest comparison is Tim Duncan – both igniting a dynasty, mastering their craft without prioritizing individual achievements, and earning reputations of professional leaders on and off the floor.“What he does at his size is so different from the traditional ‘greats’ in this league,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after winning the 2022 title. “I’ve said it many times, Steph reminds me so much of Tim Duncan.
Determining the order of an historical pyramid — in any sport — is arduous. There are far too many factors to consider and apples-to-oranges comparisons that seem unfair. With the evolution of basketball giving fans a taste of something new every decade, context has to play an integral role in any conversation. The tendencies and competition level are not homogenous from one era to the next.
After all, there have now been 4,712 different players to step on the NBA hardwood since the league’s inception. When discussing the 15 greatest to ever play, we’re talking about the top 0.3% of the NBA fraternity. Movement within the top 15 should never be considered a slight. You’re honoring each and splitting the thinnest of hairs.
Curry just tortured the Celtics for 31.2 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals per game while shooting 53.0% from two, 43.7% from deep, and 85.7% at the foul line. Of course, that included Game 5, a night at home that featured Curry shooting 0-of-9 from three and being just the third-highest scorer on his team.
Curry didn’t eliminate the Celtics with a game-winner as the clock expired, holding his follow-through while standing over a helpless body. Of course, Curry simply laughed it off, letting actions speak louder than words. Now, if one were to say Curry has struggled in the Finals, I’m genuinely curious of their expectations. He seems to stack up pretty nicely with three members of the NBA’s top-tier:The point of this table is not to suggest Curry is better than any of Jordan, LeBron, or Magic. It’s strictly to puts things in perspective.
Curry is now 4-2 in the Finals. He eclipsed Larry Bird in championships, matched LeBron and Shaq’s total, and pulled himself closer to Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant’s five. But, we should remember Curry is still enjoying his prime. He’s certainly on the back end of it because of his age, but he’s nowhere close to the finish line. Aside from LeBron and KD, every player in the table above is retired. Their stories are written, sealed, and mailed. Curry is still gripping the pen, new ink drying on the page as he hangs another banner.Is it more valuable to be on the short list of greatest eight-year stretches in basketball history ...
Remaining just as dominant in year eight of the dynasty as you were in year one is, certainly, not nothing. As Curry embarks on another title defense and maximizes the final six to seven years of his career, the regular season numbers and awards will come. He’s already 38th in combined points , currently 7,067 behind Hakeem Olajuwon for 10th.
Since making his playoff debut in 2013, Golden State is 93-41 when Curry is on the floor. That’s in the most competitive moments the sport has to offer ... against extremely gifted top-end talent. Looking strictly at the NBA’s top 50 leaderboard in playoff wins, the Warriors’ trio is leading the pack in postseason winning percentage:
At age 34, Curry has now played in 134 playoff games. Digging through history, there have only been 12 players to average at least 25 points per game in the postseason, min. 70 appearances.Only 12 players have averaged at least 25 points per game in the postseason, min. 70 games played.Because context is king and we’re in the golden era of shotmaking, I included the Relative TS mark for each player’s career.
Before his fourth title, I had Curry neck-and-neck with Shaq on the all-time list. While I ultimately gave the nod to Curry for 10th, it was too close of an argument to feel passionate about either side. Andre Iguodala, who started his career in the Shaq, Duncan, and Garnett era, has witnessed first-hand how Steph defies logic.
For the sake of illustrating Curry’s career arc, let’s isolate Bryant’s first 13 years in the league and stack his production against Curry and Bird’s entire career:Curry’s regular season Box Plus-Minus is right behind Bird’s. In the playoffs , Curry has a 7.1 to 6.9 edge. Many will use the All-Defensive selections to keep Bird and Kobe above him. On the surface, it’s hard to dispute. Whether it was due to size or ability, both were better defenders than Curry – Bryant made the All-Defensive team 12 times, Bird three.
Should it prevent him from being alongside those legends when discussing on-court impact? Not if you acknowledge the importance of being thefor a franchise, and how much weight that should carry in these conversations.
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