LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry Career Comparison: Steph Still Can’t Sit At LeBron James’ Table

LeBron James is right in the conversation as one of the best players to have ever done it, and for years, there was no comparison to him. After he captured his first NBA title with the Miami Heat in 2011, James took off and started over a decade of dominance. Of course, three more championships ensued and 4 total Finals MVP awards are on his resume. In terms of modern-day dominance and incredible longevity, LeBron James has to be one of a kind. The King is also on Mt. Rushmore for most of the pundits and fans because he is the greatest forward who has ever played. But somehow, a slender 6’3” point guard has managed to challenge James following the 2022 NBA championship.

His name is Stephen Curry. The point guard might be the most impactful player in NBA history because he single-handedly altered the way the game is played and does not seem like the era of 3-point shooting will ever go away, for good or for bad. That is thanks to Stephen Curry, the single greatest shooter of all time. Curry holds career averages of 24.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 6.5 APG on 47.3% FG, 42.8% 3-PT FG, and 90.8% FT. Clearly, those are elite shooting numbers and the player holds the record for most career three-pointers made.

But Curry’s most important accomplishments come in the form of 4 NBA titles, a Finals MVP award, and 2 MVP awards which he won back-to-back. The point guard has leaped into the conversation of one of the best players ever with the 2022 NBA championship victory. Curry desperately needed a Finals MVP award for the sake of his legacy, and he finally got it. Even if Steph does not have the size or athleticism of other all-time great players who occupy all-time lists, his skill level is obviously all-time great.

But has Curry managed to edge LeBron James in career rankings when looking at both players’ accolades and accomplishments as a whole? Obviously, James has looked untouched for most of his career but he has a direct rival with Curry capturing his 4th championship and 1st Finals MVP award. In order to compare the careers of arguably the two best players over the past decade, here is who has the edge when looking at the most important accomplishments. It might be surprising to see the winner, in the end, because both stars come incredibly close in multiple categories.

NBA Championships

LeBron James – 4 (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)

Stephen Curry – 4 (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022)

In terms of winning titles at the highest level, neither LeBron James nor Stephen Curry has the edge. James won 4 titles with 3 different teams, with multiple Finals runs with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Of course, he won the title in the 2020 “Bubble” alongside Anthony Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers. Out of all the rings that James has won, there is no doubt that the 2016 championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers is the most important one. Down 3-1 against Stephen Curry’s Warriors, James had a sensational Finals run when he averaged 29.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 8.9 APG and completed a historic comeback to win Game 7.

Meanwhile, Stephen Curry won 4 rings, all as a member of the Golden State Warriors. His first in 2015 was impressive, although Andre Iguodala changed the series by preventing LeBron James from taking over and carrying his Cleveland Cavaliers side to an upset. Curry also won the 2017 and 2018 championships alongside Kevin Durant, when the superstar small forward made one of the most surprising free agency decisions in NBA history. Of course, Curry won the 2022 championship which was his most important one yet.

Winning rings is the single most important part of a superstar’s career, but neither player has the edge. LeBron played with some all-time great players such as Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, and Kyrie Irving but he was always the best player on the court. Curry was the best player on the team for his first and fourth championships, but he had Kevin Durant the last two and was not the best player for the Warriors during any of the Finals appearances alongside the superstar small forward. But overall, in the raw number of championships won, there is no winner.

Advantage: Even

Finals MVP Awards

LeBron James – 4 (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)

Stephen Curry – 1 (2022)

Continuing about being the best player on the team, LeBron was the undisputed best player on the court for his 4 championships. Even if Davis led the regular season in scoring in 2020 or Kyrie Irving hit the biggest shot of the 2016 Finals in Game 7, LeBron was the Finals MVP each and every time. It is amazing how James can immediately become the best player for a franchise everywhere he goes because he is simply the most dominant figure in basketball today. Looking over his career, there was never a time when James was not the best talent on the floor for his side, especially in any of his NBA Finals appearances.

Stephen Curry, on the other hand, finally broke through and won his Finals MVP. For years, critics were coming out of the woodwork to discount Curry’s accomplishments because he never won a Finals MVP award before this season. Even when he was the best player on the team for the Golden State Warriors in 2015, it was swingman Andre Iguodala who won Finals MVP, averaging 16.3 PPG and 5.8 RPG while playing excellent defense on LeBron James. But Steph did it in 2022, and there was no doubt he deserved it. Good things come to those who wait, and Steph had to wait until his 4th title to win it.

But in the end, James has a massive edge in Finals MVP awards. There was never a time in which James won the title where he was edged in performances. Whenever James played well, his team won in the Finals and that was a constant throughout his career. With 4 Finals MVPs to his name versus Curry’s number of 1 Finals MVP, there is a clear winner and it goes to The King.

Advantage: LeBron James

MVP Awards

LeBron James – 4 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)

Stephen Curry – 2 (2015, 2016)

In terms of regular-season MVP Awards, it will be hard for any player to keep up with LeBron James. LeBron might be the greatest regular-season player ever, in terms of his dominance on the court. His MVP seasons occurred in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. In 2009 with the Cavaliers, he averaged 28.4 PPG and 7.6 RPG followed by 29.7 PPG and 8.6 APG a year later. With the Heat, his back-to-back MVPs resulted in NBA championships by averaging 27.1 PPG and 7.9 RPG followed by 26.8 PPG and 8.0 RPG.

Stephen Curry was the first-ever unanimous MVP in 2016 by averaging 30.1 PPG and 6.7 APG. Curry led the Warriors to the best record in NBA history with a 73-9 record, and he solidified himself as the best shooter we have ever seen. But one year prior, Curry won the MVP for the Warriors and also the NBA title. He averaged 23.8 PPG and 7.7 APG for the Warriors, cementing himself as the best point guard in the NBA. But fast forward to the 2022 season, Curry has not managed to add another MVP award.

Ultimately, that gives the edge to LeBron James and it isn’t close. Again, James has been the best player in the league at least since the 2012 season when he won his first title, and he already had 2 MVP awards to his name before that season started. Just like with the Finals MVP awards, James has an edge in MVP awards and it isn’t close. Time will tell if Stephen Curry can equal LeBron’s tally of 4 rings because the point guard will be 35 at some point next season.

Advantage: LeBron James

All-NBA Teams

LeBron James: 18 (13 First Team, 3 Second Team, 2 Third Team)

Stephen Curry: 8 (4 First Team, 3 Second Team, 1 Third Team)

LeBron James is recognized for his longevity. He has played 19 seasons and made the All-Star Team 18 times, something impressive and even more incredible considering he played in an era filled with other elite players with exceptional athleticism. LeBron James has been a bonafide superstar throughout his entire career and is the greatest small forward of all time. Because of his reign of dominance for so long, James has made a whopping 18 All-NBA Teams, missing it once in his career. Out of those 18 appearances, 13 of them have come with the First Team, an incredible achievement.

Stephen Curry has made 8 All-NBA Teams, with 4 First Team appearances. Of course, playing alongside Kevin Durant for a few years cut back on his recognition around the league. He was always the best point guard, but he was not always considered the best individual player other than in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Steph has a few more All-NBA Team selections most likely coming his way, even as he approaches age 35. He will never catch LeBron though and that is important for our comparison. As things stand, Stephen does not have an edge over LeBron James because he does not have anywhere near the number of All-NBA Teams that The King has.

Advantage: LeBron James

All-Star Selections

LeBron James: 18

Stephen Curry: 8

LeBron James is an 18-time All-Star, and he made every All-Star Team following his rookie campaign when he missed it. The superstar small forward has incredible career averages of 27.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 7.4 APG on 50.5% FG, 34.6% 3-PT FG, and 73.4% FT. His numbers have been consistent and so has his play over his entire career as a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers. Overall, James has been a consistent All-Star presence because of his elite all-around ability. An explosive athlete who has arguably the highest basketball IQ in NBA history, James has been an All-Star stalwart. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has more All-Star appearances (19), although James has a chance to equal that number next year.

Meanwhile, as Stephen Curry nears age 35, he has a total of 8 All-Star appearances. Early injuries to Curry affected the number of All-Star Teams he could have made, but the fact remains he has less than half the number of All-Star Teams that LeBron James has. Making 8 All-Star Teams is nothing to sniff at, and he has a chance to make a few more before his career is up. But as it stands, Curry has quite a margin to make up if he wishes to equal LeBron James’s mark of 18 All-Star Team selections.

Advantage: LeBron James

All-Defensive NBA Teams

LeBron James: 6 (5 First Team, 1 Second Team)

Stephen Curry: 0

LeBron James was a great defender in his prime although he has let up on that end as he has aged. It can be argued that when James was with the Miami Heat, he was the best defender in his position. But James has often focused on the offensive end which is where his statistics truly shone, but he was also an above-average defender because of his basketball IQ over his career. At 6’9” and over 260 lbs, James is a monster on the court which is why he can be required to defend multiple positions over a game. He can do it and has shown he isn’t a pushover by any means. Six All-Defensive Team selections are impressive, and we will see that is a massive advantage over Curry.

Stephen Curry is not a defensive stopper, never was, and never going to be. The 6’3” point guard lacks the athleticism and natural ability to be a force on defense, which is why he was normally attacked by the opposing team’s best players. What Curry does on offense far exceeds his defensive deficiencies, but there is no doubt defense has to be factored in during a career comparison. It has been obvious over their careers that James is by far the more consistent defensive player than Steph, and it hasn’t been close. This one goes to The King by a wide margin because 6 All-Defensive Team selections compared to zero is very telling.

Advantage: LeBron James

Total Win Shares

LeBron James: 249.5

Stephen Curry: 120.2

Win Shares is a statistic that tries to allocate a team’s wins for each player on the roster. For example, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar owns the single-season record for Win Shares with 25.4 during 1971-72 on a Milwaukee Bucks team that won 63 games. In terms of contributing to a winning side and helping his side to win games consistently, it is obvious LeBron James has a better win shares rating than Stephen Curry. The Hall of Fame small forward is a statistical darling because he can do everything on the court at such an elite level. His scoring, rebounding, assist numbers are off the charts great, and he is often a direct contributor to his team winning games. LeBron’s win shares rank 2nd all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

For whatever reason, this advanced statistic shows that Stephen Curry was not as responsible for his team’s victories as LeBron James was. While that narrative can be argued depending on their teammates and all-around talent in the league, LeBron James clearly blows Curry out of the water in this category. It might have to do with the fact that Curry has been on a few bad teams over his career and lacks the all-around talent that James brings to the table. At 6’3” without the elite athleticism that was blessed to LeBron, there is only so much Curry can do on the court although his offensive skillset is all-time great. No matter what the reason is, Curry’s win shares rating is not as good as LeBron James’s.

Advantage: LeBron James

Career Player Efficiency Rating

LeBron James: 27.3

Stephen Curry: 23.8

Player Efficiency Rating, better known as PER, is a statistic created by John Hollinger that’s goal is to give each NBA player a comprehensive rating. Hollinger’s PER metric is unique because it combines a player’s positive and negative contributions on the court.

LeBron James ranks 2nd all-time in PER, with a figure of 27.3. That is an incredible rating considering there have not been many NBA players with at least 25 PER ratings. As expected, Micahel Jordan has the highest PER with a figure of 27.9. Michael was able to score 30 PPG at 50% shooting, so it is clear his PER will probably always be the highest ever. But James comes awfully close, and as one of the most impactful and efficient superstars of all time, his PER rating is very impressive. Not to mention, it is much higher than Curry’s.

Stephen Curry has a PER figure of 23.8, which ranks 20th all-time. Clearly, Curry impacts winning because his offensive skill set is off the charts great. Averaging a career 24.3 PPG, Curry has managed to have shooting splits of 47.3% FG, 42.8% 3-PT FG, and 90.8% FT. That is simply elite on any level, and Curry constantly finds ways to make his offense shine even brighter. But Curry cannot contribute on other parts of the floor as well as LeBron James such as rebounding, and that slightly hurts his PER. Curry ranks among the greatest ever, but he does not match with The King again.

Advantage: LeBron James

Final Score

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry 7-0

LeBron James Has Had A Better Career Than Stephen Curry

In conclusion, considering all the above factors, LeBron James is the greater all-around player with a greater all-around career. What he accomplished as one of the most hyped players ever is unprecedented, and he did it without ever making trouble for himself off the court. With the eyes of the world on him, he exceeded expectations with a pristine character as a role model. The King was already being compared to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson in his rookie season, and he was truly a mix of both thanks to his dominance with his play and high basketball IQ.

James has more MVPs, more Finals, more All-Star Teams, and more accolades than Curry. Compared to 8-time All-Star and 8-time All-NBA performer Curry, LeBron has 18 All-Star Teams under his belt and 18 All-NBA Team selections. Curry is the greatest shooter we have ever seen, but LeBron has done and accomplished more than Curry. In fact, besides Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, no player has accomplished more than James did at an individual level.

In defense of Curry, who most likely until the day he retires, is Mr. Golden State. Curry changed the game as a member of Golden State, and he has remained with the franchise since day 1. But Curry did not enter the league as the league’s best point guard, he earned it. He had a solid rookie campaign averaging 17.5 PPG, but injury concerns by his third season had many people write him off. It wasn’t until 2015 that he would become an MVP and win an NBA title. Curry knew the Warriors gave him a chance and he rewarded them greatly with his loyalty. Not to mention, Curry is the best shooter ever, and his 43.3% shooting from deep ranks 12th all-time. In terms of 3-point makes, Curry sits firmly at number one. His free throw shooting also ranks #1 all-time ahead of Steve Nash and Mark Price.

But as great of a shooter, as Curry is, LeBron has better all-around statistics on both ends of the floor along with many more accolades. It is simply hard to argue against 4 MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs, and a whopping 18 All-Star and All-NBA appearances. 

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