Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are considered two of the game’s best players of their generation. Their ability to get buckets in a variety of ways allowed them to dominate the game on every level and against any opponent they come up against. Curry and Antetokounmpo have elite outside and inside games respectively, along with other important attributes such as strong playmaking and floor leadership. While only Giannis plays superstar-level defense, their impact on their teams is truly Hall of Fame status.
- Scoring – Stephen Curry
- Athleticism – Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Defense – Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Clutch – Stephen Curry
- Leadership – Stephen Curry
- Basketball I.Q. – Stephen Curry
- Impact – Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 1 on 1 Game – Stephen Curry
- Career – Stephen Curry
- Final Score
- Stephen Curry vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo 6-3
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But which superstar player has the edge in an all-time comparison? Both Curry and Giannis have achieved tremendous individual success and also team success when considering Steph won championships and Antetokounmpo is already building a Hall of Fame resume as he is only 27 years old with an NBA title, Finals MVP award, 2 MVP awards, and a Defensive Player of the Year trophy. But championships aside, which player has the edge in important player attributes on both ends of the floor?
Of course, career success will come into play, but so will other factors on both ends of the floor, including scoring, playmaking, defending, rebounding, and athleticism. Let’s take a look at the full-player comparison between Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, two future Hall of Famers and exceptional talents.
Scoring – Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is averaging 24.3 PPG on 47.3% shooting from the field, including 42.8% from three. Curry shoots 90.8% from the free-throw line over his career with the Warriors, and he certainly gets there a lot because he has elite quickness and an understanding of how to draw contact. Curry had an amazing ability to beat his defender off the dribble and he also gets his buckets at the rim when he isn’t nailing outside shots. But obviously, Curry is the best shooter ever and mainly scores from the perimeter. It is truly amazing how consistent the point guard has been over his career when it comes to draining outside shots.
Giannis is averaging 21.8 PPG on 53.5% shooting from the field over his future Hall of Fame career. He is also shooting 71.8% from the free-throw line and only 28.8% from three. It’s amazing how Giannis can score so well despite not being a natural shooter from the perimeter because he can get to the rim anytime he wants. The power forward has incredible ball-handling skills and cannot be stopped when he attacks the basket on the fast break. Even if he cannot shoot as well as others at his position, he can score just as well. He has also averaged over 26 PPG for the past 5 years, including the 2022 season.
Overall, it can be hard to distinguish between Curry and Antetokounmpo since The Greek Freak scores the ball so easily. But Curry has very high shooting percentages and is a better all-around scorer because he is a much more complete offensive player and can use his shooting to score anytime he wants. We have not seen a player who must be defended from 35 feet tightly before, because he has the ability to shoot over defenders. Curry also has a career average of 24.3 PPG, which is higher than Giannis’ average of 21.8 PPG.
Athleticism – Giannis Antetokounmpo
Being only 6’2″ and 185 lbs, Stephen Curry is by no means a great athlete. He lacks the natural strength or ferocity to make up for his little size. His speed, though, is one part of his athleticism that gets overlooked. Because of his incredible speed and agility, Steph can move across the floor whenever he wants. Curry is one of the quickest players when they have the ball, and he can sprint off screens indefinitely without getting tired. Steph is a highly great attacking player and a reliable performer in terms of speed and stamina.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is probably the most athletic player in the game today. He is extremely long, stands 7 feet tall, and moves like a point guard. He is called “The Greek Freak” for a reason. As a matter of fact, Giannis is as dominant as he is because he is so athletic. He uses his physical gifts to control the game, and that is why he is a two-time MVP and NBA champion. Other than LeBron James and Michael Jordan, Giannis has the most freakish physical gifts we have ever seen and has a clear advantage over Steph Curry.
Defense – Giannis Antetokounmpo
Both Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are considered two of the game’s greatest offensive players. But when it comes to defense, only one player comes out on top in this comparison and it is clearly not Stephen Curry.
Stephen Curry will never be an elite defender and will never play above an average level of defense. With the Warriors over his career, he has been all about offense and he has still been arguably a top-5 player in the game despite his average-level defense. Curry has averages of 1.7 SPG and 0.2 BPG during his career, which are still very solid for a point guard. Even when Curry is not a lockdown defender, he can focus on coming up with steals because he understands the game better than most and is clearly great at playing passing lanes.
The offensive prowess of Giannis Antetokounmpo is evident in his scoring statistics. But because he is just as good on defense, Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently regarded as one of the NBA’s top defensive players. Over the course of his career, Giannis has averaged 1.2 SPG and 1.3 BPG, but his impact goes beyond the stats. Giannis is capable of covering all five positions at once, using his physical prowess and skill to follow players and obstruct their shots. That is why, in the 2020 season, Giannis was also the deserving winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. In addition, he has a huge advantage over Curry in defense and is a much superior defender.
Clutch – Stephen Curry
Both Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are very capable players in the clutch and have improved over the years. Due to their scoring ability, either player is a perfect fit for making important plays in an important game. Therefore, there is not much to separate the two stars. Even though Stephen Curry frequently succeeds in crucial situations when he relies on ball movement and ball-sharing, he is one of the most clutch players when he has a decent shot from the outside. Although Steph has faced criticism for his clutch play at times, he remains a terrifying presence when he has a shot to make because there hasn’t been a better shooter in the history of professional basketball.
Giannis Antetokounmpo impresses almost every fan and media member with his play, although his ability in clutch moments had come under question over the past few years. The fact that Giannis isn’t a great shooter also harms him in the clutch. But after the 2021 Finals, those doubts began to go away. The superstar forward dropped 50 points in Game 6 of the 2021 Finals including 117-19 free throws after he struggled to make them consistently before that.
This was a truly clutch moment for The Greek Freak and a career-changing performance. But at the end of a game, Stephen Curry would edge Giannis when it comes to making big shots. He is the greatest shooter ever, and that gives the point guard the advantage over a player who is limited to scoring inside the paint and is not a great free-throw shooter either.
Leadership – Stephen Curry
Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry are the best players on their teams right now, and they both set an excellent example on the court. But due to Stephen Curry’s outstanding leadership qualities while a member of the Golden State Warriors, he must prevail over Giannis Antetokounmpo. His leadership has been rewarded with four championships, two MVP trophies, and a Finals MVP honor. Not to mention, Curry is incredibly selfless, and his ability to lead must be reflected in his selflessness in recruiting other superstars to play with him. Thanks to Steph’s willingness to be an unselfish leader, Kevin Durant helped deliver two titles to the Warriors, which sit pretty in Steph’s trophy cabinet.
Giannis has vastly improved as a leader and is slowly becoming the most dominant player in the NBA. It is only a matter of time before he becomes the undisputed face of the NBA, and all that remains is for him to get closer to the top 20 players ever. Nonetheless, Giannis has shown he can lead a supporting cast to the best record in the league and an NBA championship. He won MVP twice, Finals MVP, and an NBA championship by age 26. Giannis also makes everyone around him better, as he helped make Khris Middleton an All-Star. But Steph is a more accomplished leader because the proof of being unselfish is evident because four rings beat one championship.
Basketball I.Q. – Stephen Curry
When it comes to basketball I.Q., Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo are probably two of the best in their generation when it comes to the offensive end of the floor. Stephen Curry is a genius on offense and is a terrific playmaker as well. The point guard can affect a game single-handedly and he often used his exceptional offensive awareness to lead the game in scoring. The point guard creates great offense for himself and others because his shooting is off-the-charts great. Curry understands basketball at a very high level, which is why he overcame his smaller physique to dominate the game of professional basketball with the Warriors.
At the same time, when it comes to basketball I.Q., Giannis Antetokounmpo is easily one of the best in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo has a high I.Q. and is one of the best overall players in the league right now on both ends of the floor. He dominates the game on both ends and does not have a weakness besides his inconsistent shooting, which is steadily improving by the season. But Giannis is only 27 years old and has a way to go to match Curry’s genius of playing basketball. The Greek Freak is not on Steph’s level right now, and the edge goes to the all-time great point guard.
Impact – Giannis Antetokounmpo
Looking ahead to impact on a basketball game, again this one is too close to call but one player has the minor edge due to the evidence of being a dominant defensive player and physical phenomenon. Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo impact the game at an MVP level offensively, although Giannis has key attributes such as rebounding, defending, and using his sheet size.
But Curry has a tremendous impact on the floor because he changed the game due to his unstoppable shooting ability. Steph can destroy teams in just a few possessions and has to gain the edge in impact. Some players might do more than Steph on the court, but Curry’s shooting is undeniably great – especially in the modern NBA game. Despite being only 6’2”, Steph has somehow changed the NBA and even helped change the rules because of the way teams focus on the offensive end of the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a stat sheet stuffer and is the reason the Bucks are legitimate title contenders. Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Milwaukee should be the favorite thanks to their superstar player. Giannis’ impact is undeniable, and he is probably the best two-way player in the game right now. The Greek-born superstar averaged 29.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 5.8 APG last season, and is clearly a better all-around player than Steph. Of course, he is far larger and can do more as a result. Overall, Giannis does more and deserves the edge here.
1 on 1 Game – Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry has some of the best ball-handling skills we have ever seen, making him unstoppable in one-on-one matchups. When he has the ball past half-court, he terrorizes opposing coaches because of what he adds to the offense and what he enables on defense. As soon as he steps inside the half-court line, Steph can make outside shots with ease. To prevent him from stepping back and launching rapid jumpers, he frequently needs to be double-teamed. Only Kevin Durant is currently a better player in that aspect than Steph, which is a tremendous thought to consider because Durant is right in his prime.
Giannis uses his freakish gifts to dominate any defender in his way. One-on-one, Giannis is simply unstoppable. He has the strength and athleticism to get to the rim, finish inside with force, and dominate any defender. On the defensive side, he has long arms and a high defensive awareness that can’t be equaled at this moment. But he cannot shoot the ball very well, and that gives the edge to Stephen Curry. There is no question there because when coming up against elite and powerful defenders, Giannis might have to take jumpers and that does not end as well as when Curry takes them.
Career – Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry made 8 All-Star Teams, 8 All-NBA Teams, and won the scoring title on two occasions. Curry has also won 4 NBA championships and has had a sensational record of making the playoffs and kick-starting the new era in the NBA. Steph has also won the MVP award on two occasions, captured a Finals MVP award, an All-Star Game MVP award, and even led the NBA in steals in 2016. Perhaps other than LeBron James, no player has had a better career than Curry right now among active players.
In terms of career, the edge has to go to Stephen Curry. The Greek Freak has 2 MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year Award, Finals MVP, and an NBA championship. Giannis is also a 6-time All-Star, 5-time All-Defensive Team performer, 2017 Most Improved Player, and an esteemed member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Giannis has been the man in Milwaukee, making the All-Rookie Team and taking it to another level by becoming a superstar that carried his franchise to an NBA title while winning Finals MVP. Giannis was also an easy inclusion into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and is on his way to making the Hall of Fame.
Overall, there is a clear winner when it comes to a career comparison. Curry is a more accomplished player so far, owning a host of individual and team accolades that Giannis does not have right now. The Greek Freak has only played for 9 seasons so far and has plenty of time to gain more All-Star and All-NBA Team appearances than Steph, although the championship awards could be difficult to accomplish. But if Giannis wins another title, he will already have an edge over Steph because then he would have tied the point guard in MVP awards and usurped him in Finals MVP awards. But as things stand, Curry has the edge, and it is a no contest.
Final Score
Stephen Curry vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo 6-3
These two superstars are remarkably similar to one another when comparing the players’ attributes and accomplishments. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a superior all-around player when it comes to playing defense and grabbing rebounds, but Stephen Curry is a better shooter with an outstanding career record. Curry and Antetokounmpo are already legitimate All-Stars and MVP contenders in the NBA, and as a result of their skills as superstar players, they are close to one another. Curry ultimately outperforms Antetokounmpo, though.
The number of awards and team victories Stephen Curry collected over his great career serve as the deciding factor in separating him from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not to mention, Curry revolutionized the NBA for good by prioritizing talent over pure physicality and athleticism in his approach to dominating the game. Fair enough, Giannis Antetokounmpo has accomplished a lot in a short period of time and is currently ranked alongside Kevin Durant as the best player in the world. But compared to the point guard, his career has been far too short, and he falls short of what Stephen Curry has so far contributed to the game of basketball. Giannis Antetokounmpo loses ground to Stephen Curry as one of the greatest players of all time as a result.
