LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are the three greatest players of their generation, and Tracy McGrady was recently asked to pick one of them to start a franchise with. While some might have had a difficult time picking between the three, McGrady did not.
“Bron, I mean that’s an obvious choice, LeBron,” McGrady said. “… When he (Curry) faced LeBron, LeBron has always been the best player in the series. KD has been the better scorer, but you cannot take anybody over LeBron James in today’s game. He does too much.
“Now, you might have to change your game because he dominates the ball, but it works for his teams,” McGrady continued. “You’re going to win or at least get there and play for it. I’m going with Bron all day and I love KD, I love Steph. But Bron brings too much and does so much.”
For as great as Curry and Durant are, LeBron would be my pick as well. As McGrady pointed out, James does so many things at a high level on the court and masks many of the deficiencies that the team he is on, has. The 20-time All-Star has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, and can adapt his game based on the kind of players around him.
If LeBron’s team needs him to be a high-level scorer, he can go out there and average over 30 points a game. If he is surrounded by players who can score, he can turn into a facilitator and run the show.
LeBron’s versatility is a big reason why he has made a staggering 10 trips to the NBA Finals in his career. He managed to win four titles in the process and that number would have been higher, had Curry and Durant not teamed up on the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
As for who I’d pick between Curry and Durant to start a franchise with, I’d go with the latter. While Durant hasn’t won a championship without Curry, he’s arguably the most malleable superstar in NBA history. He fits in perfectly in any kind of system, and that certainly is quite helpful when starting a franchise.
McGrady’s Mount Rushmore Of 2010s Scorers Included Durant And Curry, But Not LeBron
While McGrady picked LeBron over his two great rivals to start a franchise with, there is one aspect of the game where he believes they have him beat. McGrady’s Mount Rushmore of 2010s Scorers had Durant and Curry, but not James.
“Melo, KD, James Harden, and Chef Curry man. Those are my four. KD is arguably one of the most efficient shooters ever. The things Harden was doing night in and night out in that Rockets uniform was incredible man. Steph Curry, the world’s greatest shooter, has averaged over 30 in the league. And Melo, when it comes to one-on-one, Melo is in the conversation of those who cannot be stopped.”
Curry and Durant certainly deserve a spot, in my opinion, and so does James Harden. I would put LeBron in there over Carmelo Anthony, though. Anthony is one of the finest scorers we have seen, but James was a better scorer than him in the decade. LeBron averaged 26.9 points on 52.9% shooting from the field in the 2010s while Carmelo put up 23.9 points on 44.1% shooting. I don’t think there should be much debate on who is more deserving of a spot.
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