Stephen Curry is without a doubt one of the most popular players in the league. He is the greatest shooter of all time, and his long-distance shooting has literally reshaped the way that basketball is played.
One player that Stephen Curry is often compared to by fans and analysts is LeBron James. The duo has faced one another in the Finals multiple times, and there is no doubt that those Cavaliers-Warriors Finals were must-watch basketball.
While most people would consider LeBron James the more accomplished and better player in terms of all-time rankings, there is no doubt that Stephen Curry is doing better from a winning standpoint currently. In fact, Stephen A. Smith has even claimed that Stephen Curry is the face of the league currently rather than LeBron James, claiming that “he’s winning and LeBron’s not”. Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports reported the news.
“I believe it’s Steph Curry by default. He’s winning and LeBron’s not, that’s really what that comes down to for me. If you want to modify to some degree, LeBron is a face of what he does off the court. To me, I’m speaking specifically of on the court. Steph Curry is just as box office. You walk through the turnstiles to see the show that this brother puts on.
Even though LeBron puts on his own show, he deserves mad credit for that, the Lakers struggle. Steph Curry is winning, and I think that puts him in that place and I think when you consider the fact that he’s 6-foot-3 and you look at what he does and you see kids going to the park, they know you can’t be LeBron, 6-feet-9, 260 locomotives coming at you, extraordinary athleticism, strength, and everything else that comes with it.
With Steph Curry, you look at him and you say ‘Man I get on the court, I can shoot jump shots, I can be that’ and I think that has a lot to do with elevating his popularity, along with the fact that he’s incredibly likable he’s class personified, he can shoot from the parking lot, he’s the greatest shooter in the history of basketball, and his team is winning. So at this particular time, that makes him more of a face. It’s hard to say anybody is more of a face of the NBA than LeBron James considering LeBron James’ overall resume. But at this particular moment, to me, it’s Steph Curry.”
The Golden State Warriors are now back to contending status under Stephen Curry’s leadership, and there is no question that they have a chance to win the 2021-22 NBA championship. Stephen A. Smith even picked them to win it all earlier in the season. As of right now, Stephen Curry is the superstar on a winning team, not LeBron James. With that being said, LeBron James did get the most All-Star votes this year, so it’s clear that he is still popular among fans.
It remains to be seen if the Golden State Warriors do end up winning it all in the future. However, championship or not, it will be fun to see Stephen Curry back in the playoffs, and perhaps we’ll see him lead his team back to the Finals.
