Folks will be hard-pressed to name any NBA players in the league right now who are more exciting to watch than Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
James has been captivating viewers with otherworldly displays of athleticism and basketball IQ for more than two decades, as he’s been in the NBA ever since he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Curry, on the other hand, has staked his claim as arguably the greatest 3-point shooter of all time while also possessing an airtight handle.
Patrick Bet-David, a minority owner of the New York Yankees, argued in a recent post on X that Curry has been more exciting to watch than James. He also seemingly called James’ role in NBA’s “decline” into question.
The NBA’s decline happened under your tenure. Period.
Blaming the 3-point shot for it is just you throwing shade at Steph Curry.
Quite frankly, he’s been more exciting to watch than you.
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) December 21, 2024
Former NBA wing Eddie Johnson subsequently responded to Bet-David and defended James.
This might be the dumbest tweet of 2024. Good timing. This guy Positive or Negative will go down as the best face of the league ever. Kept you tuned in for 20 plus years and counting https://t.co/3BUyaXBF9s
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) December 21, 2024
Bet-David clearly has a different point of view.
He’s hands down the worst face of the NBA ever.
He’s on the top 5 list. Respect him as a father but he hurts the NBA brand immensely.
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) December 21, 2024
Johnson seems to have a lot of respect for what James has done for the NBA, even though he’s from a different era. Johnson was never the league at the same time as James yet still sees him as a “best face of the league ever.”
Meanwhile, when it comes to Bet-David’s thoughts on the James and Curry topic, both players have legitimate arguments for being the more exciting player of the two to sit down and watch. Which one folks prefer perhaps boils down to what style of basketball they like to witness.
For those who are in favor of the 3-point heavy style of play in the modern NBA, Curry stands out as the clear choice. He’s knocked down more 3s than any player in the history of the league, and what makes it so entertaining to watch him score the ball from deep is that he can light teams up off the catch or the bounce.
Conversely, if people prefer to see players attack the painted area and score inside as opposed to settling for 3s, James would probably be their pick. Though he’s nearing 40 years old and thus maybe doesn’t have the hops he once did, James has had his fair share of poster dunks over the years, with a couple being some of the more iconic dunks of all time.
All in all, there probably isn’t a definitive right or wrong answer as to which of Curry or James is the more entertaining player, as both have been must-see television for many years at this point in time, but Bet-David seems to have his choice.
