LeBron James is right in the conversation as one of the best players to have ever done it, but what about Stephen Curry? Curry might be the most impactful player in NBA history because he single-handedly altered the way the game is played.
It does not seem like the era of 3-point shooting will ever go away, and for good or for bad, that is thanks to Stephen Curry. In order to compare the careers of arguably the two best players over the past decade, here is who has the edge.
Championships
LeBron James – 4
Stephen Curry – 3
In terms of winning titles at the highest level, LeBron James has the edge. He won 4 titles with 3 different teams, with multiple Finals runs with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Of course, he won the title last year alongside Anthony Davis in Los Angeles.
Winning rings is the single most important part of a superstars’ career, and The King has the edge. LeBron played with some all-time great players such as Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, and Kyrie Irving but he was always the best player on the court. Curry was the best player on the team for his first championship, but he had Kevin Durant the last two and was not the best player for the Warriors during any of his Finals appearances.
Advantage: LeBron James
Finals MVPs
LeBron James – 4
Stephen Curry – 0
Continuing about being the best player on the team, LeBron was the undisputed best player on the court for his 4 championships. Even if Davis led the regular season in scoring last year or Kyrie Irving hit the biggest shot of the 2016 Finals in Game 7, LeBron was the Finals MVP each and every time.
Stephen Curry, on the other hand, does not have a single Finals MVP. This is surprising, especially since he was the best player on the team for the Golden State Warriors in 2015. But it was swingman Andre Iguodala, averaging 16.3 PPG and 5.8 RPG while playing excellent defense on LeBron James, who won Finals MVP that year.
Advantage: LeBron James
MVP Awards
LeBron James – 4
Stephen Curry – 2
In terms of regular-season MVP Awards, it will be hard for any player to keep up with LeBron James. LeBron might be the greatest regular-season player ever, in terms of his dominance on the court. His MVP seasons occurred in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. In 2009 with the Cavaliers, he averaged 28.4 PPG and 7.6 RPG followed by 29.7 PPG and 8.6 APG a year later. With the Heat, his back-to-back MVPs resulted in NBA championships by averaging 27.1 PPG and 7.9 RPG followed by 26.8 PPG and 8.0 RPG.
Stephen Curry was the first-ever unanimous MVP in 2016 by averaging 30.1 PPG and 6.7 APG. Curry led the Warriors to the best record in NBA history with a 73-9 record, and he solidified himself as the best shooter we have ever seen. But one year prior, Curry won the MVP for the Warriors and also the NBA title. He averaged 23.8 PPG and 7.7 APG for the Warriors, cementing himself as the best point guard in the NBA.
Advantage: LeBron James
Statistics
LeBron James: 27.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 50.4% FG, 34.5% 3-PT FG, 73.4% FT
Stephen Curry: 23.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 47.7% FG, 43.3% 3-PT FG, 90.7% FT
The regular season statistics of LeBron James are extraordinary. A 6’9″ forward locomotive who weighs 250 lbs, LeBron affects the game in all areas. In terms of having an all-around game, LeBron is probably number one all time. His 27.0 PPG ranks 6th all-time, and he did it with over 50% shooting from the field. He also ranks 23rd with 7.4 APG.
Curry is the best shooter ever, and his 43.3% shooting from deep ranks 3rd all-time. In terms of 3-point makes, Curry is behind Ray Allen for the most ever with 2719 makes. Allen has 2973 makes, so Curry will most likely be number one by the end of his career. His free throw shooting also ranks #1 all-time ahead of Steve Nash and Mark Price. As great of a shooter Curry is, LeBron has better all-around statistics on both ends of the floor.
Advantage: LeBron James
Loyalty Points
Loyalty is always an interesting discussion in the NBA. LeBron James is often considered the player who “started superteams” by leaving his hometown team Cleveland Cavaliers to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. A very heavily scrutinized move, James did manage to shut up critics with 2 titles in 4 years with the franchise. But his loyalty is often questioned, as he bolted back to Cleveland once the going got rough in Miami.
Of course, he would defeat a 73-9 Golden State Warriors team led by Stephen Curry to win his third title, and then suffer consecutive Finals losses to Golden State Warriors who acquired Kevin Durant. LeBron left Cleveland again to join the Lakers making it seem like he is a mercenary who looks for opportunities.
Stephen Curry, most likely until the day he retires, is Mr. Golden State. Curry changed the game as a member of Golden State, and he has remained with the franchise since day 1. But Curry did not enter the league as the league’s best point guard, he earned it. He had a solid rookie campaign averaging 17.5 PPG, but injury concerns by his third season had many people write him off. It wasn’t until 2015 that he would become an MVP and win an NBA title. Curry knew the Warriors gave him a chance and he rewarded them greatly with his loyalty.
Advantage: Stephen Curry
Conclusion
In conclusion, considering all the above factors, LeBron James is the greater all-around player. What he accomplished as one of the most hyped players ever is unprecedented, and he did it without ever making trouble for himself off the court. With the eyes of the world on him, he exceeded expectations with a pristine character as a role model. The King was already being compared to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in his rookie season, and he was truly a mix of both thanks to his dominance with his play and high basketball IQ.
James has more MVPs, more Finals, more NBA titles, and more accolades than Curry. Compared to 7-time All-Star and 6-time All-NBA performer Curry, LeBron has 17 All-Star Teams under his belt and 16 All-NBA Team selections. Curry is the greatest shooter we have ever seen, but LeBron has done and accomplished more than Curry. In fact, besides Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, no player has accomplished more than James did at an individual level.
Next
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