Stephen Curry is widely considered to be one of the best players in the NBA right now. Though he’s 34 years old, he is still a lethal shooter and true winner.
Despite that fact, former NBA star Tracy McGrady recently came out to express his belief that Curry does not belong in the same conversation as some other all-time greats.
He said as much while speaking with NBC Sports Washington.
“That’s a tough question,” McGrady said when asked where Curry ranks in NBA history. “Because he has his career individually and with what he’s accomplished with his team is tough. Because you’ve gotta think, he won a championship, right, against LeBron [James] that didn’t have Kyrie [Irving], that didn’t have Kevin Love. He didn’t win the [Finals] MVP, right? Then he loses a 3-1 lead to LeBron, gets K.D. (Kevin Durant), K.D. comes and wins two championships, so that gives Steph three championship but K.D. wins the two MVPs, right?
“We know Steph is like the 3-point God. But when it comes to putting him with [Michael Jordan] and these guys that won that level of championships; Kobe [Bryant] and Magic Johnson, I don’t know where to rank him. I know he’s pretty high. But I think those guys are in a different class than Steph Curry based off of [all of that]. They’re on championship teams. K.D. came and joined the Warriors and became the best player and helped Steph win two more championships. But Steph wasn’t the best player on that team.”
There’s no doubt that Durant’s decision to join the Warriors after the 2015-16 season impacted his legacy as well as Curry’s. It’s interesting to consider that the impact on Curry’s legacy may have been negative in the eyes of some.
Of course, if Curry and the Warriors are able to win the title this season, it may help convince people like McGrady that Curry deserves more respect in the all-time great conversation.
If the Warriors do win, Curry will have two championships with Durant and two championships without him.
If Curry and the Warriors want to have a solid chance of achieving their goals this season, they’re going to have to come to play in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals.
After losing Game 3 on Wednesday night, the Warriors now face a 2-1 deficit in the series. Going down 3-1 is something that only one team has ever been able to come back from in NBA Finals history.
Of course, that team was the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 against none other than Curry and the Warriors.
