Speaking after a matchup against the Warriors on Wednesday night, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving spoke candidly on Stephen Curry’s NBA legacy. In Irving’s eyes, Steph has joined the highest tier of basketball legends and the mutual respect couldn’t be stronger.
“That’s the guy for us as point guards, outside of Magic, Isaiah Thomas, Steph has etched himself as one of the most legendary players of all time. For me, that’s me just testing my game against him,” said Irving, via Joey Mistretta. “Normally when you go against the best of the best you want to play well and we know each other’s game very well but at the same time, some of the things that he’s accomplished I’m still trying to accomplish. Being a multiple-time championship winner in this league is the hardest thing to do. He’s the MVP of our league two times… So that’s really the barometer at times where you can stay motivated as a peer of his. No jealousy or hate, just straight competition and being able to admit when someone else is great. Taking things from their game and them taking things from your game is mutual respect and that’s how I feel about it.”
This week was the latest battle between Irving and Curry, which featured two teams struggling to stay afloat in the West. This time, thanks to 42 points from Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks came away with the win to avoid falling further in the standings. Curry, meanwhile, put up 25 points on a measly 39.1% shooting.
It was just one of many matchups between the two NBA legends and while Kyrie won this battle, Steph has been on the other side more often than not. His first high-stakes showdown against Irving was during their first title run in 2015 when they beat the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Curry and Irving faced off in the next two Finals after that, with the Cavs winning in 2016 and then losing in 2017 after Kevin Durant’s arrival.
Kyrie eventually left the Cavaliers and he failed to make the Finals for years as he navigated to different teams across the NBA. After failed stints with the Celtics and Nets, Kyrie found his home with the Mavericks and he led them back to the NBA Finals in 2024.
This season, the Mavericks are in a much less predictable position given the departure of Luka Doncic but Irving has them in a better place than the Warriors, who are currently 10th in the West at 27-27. It remains to be seen if Irving can close the gap with Curry but nothing will change his respect for the Warriors head point guard.
As a 4x champion, 2x MVP, and 11x All-Star, Stephen Curry isn’t just one of the best players in the game, he’s one of the best in NBA history, and his legacy is already defined as the player who changed the game and ushered in the three-point revolution.
At 36 years old, Curry is not yet done trying to add to his resume but he’s already done enough to earn a spot alongside the NBA greats. Kyrie Irving isn’t quite on that level but he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame and is still adding to his legacy with each passing game.
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