Steph Curry winning his fourth NBA title and his first finals MVP award has brought him closer to LeBron James in terms of achievements. NBA analyst Richard Jefferson said the Golden State Warriors guard is close to matching James’ legacy but not the consistency.
Curry led the Warriors to their fourth title in eight years. With Kevin Durant leaving the team in 2019, many wondered if they would reach such heights without the forward.
Steph Curry is the 2022 NBA FINALS MVP!31.2 PPG, 6 RPG, 5 APG, 2 SPG https://t.co/r2imQYwmii
For his efforts in the series, the All-Star guard was awarded his first NBA Finals MVP award. With that, he joined a distinct group of players whose achievements have been otherworldly.
On the podcast “Road Trippin’,” Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton discussed what it would take for the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic to reach James and Curry’s level. In the buildup, Jefferson talked about how Curry has won almost everything James has won. He said:
“Now Steph Curry has come closer to matching LeBron’s legacy, not the consistency. But Bron’s got four MVPs, Steph has two. Bron has four finals MVPs Steph now has one. They both got four championships. … When you look at Steph’s accolades, it belongs in the greatness. But you can fall a bit short if you don’t win enough. …
“When Steph said, ‘What else will they say now?’ That’s because he could check another box. And that meant the only people that were in the same category as him. … Winning a finals MVP and all these scoring titles twice. Now, it’s only like six or seven players, including Bron .”
While Curry’s impact may not be equivalent to James’ throughout the years, the Warriors guard has changed the game. He has opened everyone’s eyes to how effective the 3-point ball can be.
Draymond Green has Steph Curry and LeBron James in his all-time starting 5
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Steph Curry, LeBron James, Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Rich Paul at Dray’s wedding ⭐️(via @juanonjuan10) https://t.co/m3s9oyCAzL
Despite their finals rivalry, Green has always given James the credit he is due. More recently, he praised James for his contributions to basketball.
When asked about his all-time starting five, Green had both Steph Curry and Lebron James on the list. Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal rounded off the list.
Draymond Green’s all-time starting 5: Steph CurryMichael JordanLeBron JamesTim DuncanShaquille O’NealGreen says Kobe was a “very close second” https://t.co/tW0fwqJPVf
Green still maintains that Curry’s impact isn’t appreciated the way it should be. The all-time 3-point leading scorer has played at an elite level for years now. And, Steph Curry is nowhere close to calling it quits.
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