Among the several media narratives being discussed around the basketball world, one of the most prominent ones has been the superstar status of the best players on each team in the conference finals. From Tyrese Haliburton to Jalen Brunson, whether or not these young players have reached superstar status is something that basketball media have loved to discuss in these Playoffs. But sometimes, those claims and comparisons may be too far-fetched.
One such far-fetched comparison was made by the NFL Legend, LeSean McCoy. He went on Fox Sports’ show “The Facility” to make a bold claim about Jalen Brunson after the Knicks were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. The crew was discussing the Knicks’ future as the offseason approached.
“This might not be popular because I’m a Steph Curry fan, but I would say one-on-one, I think Brunson scores better than Steph, one-on-one. Just straight get the ball one-on-one, I think, would you agree with that? I think he does, I think Steph’s a better player obviously,” McCoy said.
McCoy goes on to explain that for Curry to play freely in his prime days, the Warriors were built a certain way. From covering his weaknesses on defense (by bringing on Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green) to finding an alternative option for offense (in Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson), McCoy claimed that Curry could be himself only when the Warriors were built in a way to cover up the areas he lacked. Similarly, the Knicks need to be built a certain way for Brunson to play freely in his prime. Why McCoy took a shot at Curry in the process of making this point is beyond me.
In my opinion, Stephen Curry (arguably after Kyrie Irving) has the second-best ball-handling skills in the NBA. That, combined with his basketball IQ, would easily put Brunson in a blender if it came down to one-on-one basketball. It is baffling to see how it has become a trend in the media that, in order to praise new talent, they take a knock at the veteran talent in the league.
NFL Legend Comes Under Fire From Fans Over Jalen Brunson-Steph Curry Claim
This comment from McCoy was also not received warmly by fans. Fans took to social media and expressed how outrageous McCoy sounds in claiming Brunson would beat Curry in a one-on-one matchup.
“OK, maybe it’s time to stop letting NFL players talk NBA”, wrote a frustrated fan on X.
“Bro needs to stick to talking only about fball after this”, wrote another unhappy fan who resonated with the sentiment that NFL Players need to stick to talking about their sport. While I disagree with the sentiment, I do believe that retired athletes should not act as critics in another sport in which they have no experience. Players can talk about another sport, but they should not criticize individuals personally without experience in the sport themselves.
“Former players make the worst analysts. Football guys shouldn’t talk basketball,” wrote another X user.
“Jalen Brunson will never be on Steph Curry’s level,” wrote a Warriors fan on X.
“Should be booted off the show for even saying something so blasphemous like that,” wrote an X user.
While most fans resonated with this sentiment, some even agreed with McCoy.
“I agree. Curry is a system run off picks guy,” wrote a fan online.
“He’s totally right, but people hate Brunson. Curry is unbelievable, but 1v1 isn’t the strongest part of his game,” wrote a Jalen Brunson fan account on social media.
