With three wins in the 2022 Finals, Warriors star Stephen Curry is on the verge of capturing his fourth NBA championship. Along with his 2 MVPs, a title win this year would be enough to push him into the upper echelon of all-time greats.
But if Curry moves into the top 10, he’ll have to kick somebody out — and that’s the conversation that was had on First Take Wednesday morning.
In a panel including Chris Russo and Amare Stoudemire, Stephen A. Smith shocked audiences when he suggested the legendary Wilt Chamberlain will be the one knocked off the top 10 if Curry captures another ring.
“I’m only holding one thing against Wilt Chamberlain. When we think about you and your era, we constantly think about Bill Russell and 11 rings. 11 to 2. You can’t mention Chamberlain without bringing up Russell, and when you bring up Russell, you bring up 11 rings. I understand that Bill Russell had a better team around him, I’m not denying it. But damn. We know what Wilt Chamberlain would have been if he was in Boston instead of Russell. But I still have to hold against you that you weren’t. It’s a nine championship discrepancy.”
The First Take crew is in shock after @stephenasmith's hot take on Wilt Chamberlain 😳 pic.twitter.com/16MO8jbzB5
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 15, 2022
Statistically, Wilt Chamberlain may be the greatest player ever. During his career, he set many records that will likely never be broken, including a 100-point game, a 27 rebound per game average for a whole season, and minutes played per game for a season with 48.53 in 1961–62.
Still, his legacy will forever be tainted by Bill Russell’s dominance. As his biggest competitor at the time, it’s an indictment on Wilt that Russell won so many titles during his career. Guys like Jordan, LeBron, and Kareem all prevented most of their rivals from winning because they were so dominant.
Curry, if he captures this championship, will join some elite company and it could cost some fans and experts to re-evaluate where some old-time legends belong on the NBA’s hierarchy.
