Over the past decade, we have watched Stephen Curry go from an NCAA March Madness sensation to one of the best point guards ever to play the game. Curry has broken every 3-point record there is in the NBA history books. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made and a 4-time NBA champion. He has won 2 MVP awards, including the first and only unanimous MVP award in NBA history. Curry and the Golden State Warriors have transformed into a dynasty, winning their latest NBA championship just last season in 2022.
En route to these NBA championships with the Warriors, Curry has faced off against some of the best players that the NBA has to offer. During the 2010s, Curry faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James 4 times in the NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018. In 2022, Curry led the Warriors to an NBA championship over the Boston Celtics led by Jayson Tatum. When we spoke about the players that LeBron James and Michael Jordan defeated in the NBA Finals, it doesn’t look great on Curry’s resume considering the difference in talent level. Regardless, we will let you be the judge.
Here are the 10 best NBA players that Stephen Curry has defeated in the NBA Finals.
10. George Hill
The man who was traded for Kawhi Leonard on draft night was none other than George Hill. Hill has been in the NBA since the 2008-09 season when he debuted with the San Antonio Spurs. Over the years, Hill has developed into the top half of the NBA as far as role players go, having had stints with 8 different teams in 15 seasons. He has always been a decent outside shooter, even leading the NBA during the 2020 season, shooting 46.0% from deep on just 3.0 attempts per game. For his career, Hill is a 37.9% shooter from deep and averages 10.7 PPG for his career.
During the 2018 season, Hill began the year as a member of the Sacramento Kings. At the trade deadline, Hill was picked up by the Cavaliers in exchange for Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, and draft picks. Hill would appear in 24 games for the Cavs that season and average 9.4 PPG. In the NBA Finals, Hill would appear in all 4 games for the Cavs and receive the 4th-most minutes on the team. The Cavaliers would be swept by the Warriors as Hill averaged just 7.5 PPG and 2.3 APG for the series. Curry would average 27.5 PPG on 41.5% shooting from three in the 4-game sweep.
9. J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith was a 16-year NBA veteran who played for 5 different teams, including the Nuggets, Knicks, Cavaliers, Hornets, and Lakers. Smith spent 5 seasons with the Cavaliers from 2015 through 2019, appearing in all 4 Cavaliers-Warriors series during that time. Smith was still an integral member of the Cavs during this time as a starter at the shooting guard position. With the Cavaliers, Smith averaged 10.3 PPG during the regular seasons and 10.2 PPG during the playoffs.
With the Cavaliers, Smith had a 1-3 record in the NBA Finals against the Warriors. He appeared in 22 total games for Cleveland during the NBA Finals and averaged 10.9 PPG. His best performance came in 2017 when he had a 25-point game in Game 5 of the series, which Cleveland would end up losing. Curry was outstanding, as to be expected, averaging 25.4 PPG in his career vs. Cleveland in the Finals.
8. Robert Williams
Robert Williams has only been in the NBA for a few seasons but has already established himself as one of the best interior defenders in the game. Williams has struggled to remain healthy during his 4 NBA seasons as he currently recovers from another knee injury. Williams enjoyed the best season of his career on both sides of the ball in 2021-22 while anchoring the NBA’s best defense on the interior. During the regular season, Williams averaged 10.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 2.2 BPG.
Williams was in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award all season long, but it eventually went to his teammate, Marcus Smart. Without Williams, the Celtics’ defense suffered, but when he was on the floor, he was a force to be reckoned with. During the 2022 NBA Finals, Williams’ offense wasn’t nearly as great as it was during the regular season. His impact stayed the same on the defensive side of the ball, as he averaged 2.8 BPG.
7. Al Horford
Al Horford is yet another veteran on this list who made an enormous impact on the team that opposed Curry in the NBA Finals. Earlier in his career, Horford was a perennial All-Star with the Hawks, whom he was with for the first 9 seasons of his career. He also made an All-Star appearance with the Celtics back in 2018. Although he has never been a 20.0 PPG scorer in his career, Horford’s impact is only prevalent to those of us who watch the game rather than just look at the box scores.
This was most certainly the case in his 2021-22 campaign with the Boston Celtics as well. Horford wasn’t an overly dominant scorer, but there were many instances during the playoffs where he stepped up when it mattered most. On the playoff run, Horford averaged 12.0 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. In the 2022 NBA Finals, Horford underperformed on the offensive end but really showed how effective he could be on defense and on the glass, grabbing rebounds. He averaged 12.5 PPG and led the team with 8.5 RPG.
6. Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart is a 9-year NBA veteran who has spent the entirety of his NBA career with the Boston Celtics. Smart has always been a slightly above-average offensive point guard with the ability to score and hit outside shots when he has been left open. He also has the ability to play make, and distribute the ball fairly well. His best attribute happens to be his incredible ability on the defensive side of the ball. Smart is extremely disruptive and versatile on that end of the floor, but in 2022, it hit new heights.
Smart was named the first point guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since Gary Payton in 1996. Smart won the award while being the best perimeter defender on the NBA’s No. 1 ranked defense. In the 2022 NBA Finals, Smart looked great, averaging 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG. Unfortunately, Smart’s efforts came up just short against Stephen Curry as Curry lit up the Celtics to win his 4th championship and first-ever Finals MVP award.
5. Kevin Love
Kevin Love began his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in the 2008-09 season. During his time with the Timberwolves, Love was one of the league’s best players and a constant 20-point, 20-rebound threat. He also showed the ability to spread the floor and knock down outside shots. These abilities made him one of the more lethal offensive weapons in basketball. In 2014, Love was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers to team up with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to form a new Big 3 and hopefully deliver an NBA championship.
When Love got to Cleveland, it was clear that he was no longer the No. 1 option he once was, taking a back seat to Kyrie and LeBron. However, Love was still pivotal to 4 straight Finals appearances for Cleveland, including a 2016 NBA championship. Curry got the best of Love 3 out of the 4 times they faced off. In 15 career Finals games, Love has averaged 13.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 1.3 APG. He shot the ball at a below-average rate on the big stage, going for 33.3% from three-point range and 38.8% overall.
4. Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown has become one of the more underappreciated players in the NBA since his debut in 2016-17. He has improved every aspect of his game with every passing season and has become a star in his own right in Boston. Brown has averaged at least 20.0 PPG over the past 4 seasons and has placed his name in the ring for one of the better two-way shooting guards in basketball. Brown was a crucial piece to the 2022 Finals run by the Celtics.
Let us start with the NBA playoffs. Brown appeared in all 24 playoff games for the Celtics. He averaged 23.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG. He helped the Celtics upset teams like the Bucks and Heat to advance to the Finals for a showdown with Curry and the Warriors. In the Finals, Brown was the Celtics’ leading scorer as he averaged 23.5 PPG and shot the ball at a 43.1% rate. Unfortunately for Brown, his efforts were not enough as the Celtics fell to Curry and the Warriors in 6 games.
3. Jayson Tatum
Over the past 6 seasons, Jayson Tatum has developed into near superstar status before our very eyes. His offensive game is so polished he can dominate opponents from all 3 levels. Tatum has become an elite offensive weapon through his shooting, passing, playmaking, and ability to take any defender that opposes him off the dribble. He is an All-Star and All-NBA player approaching superstar status with greatness within reach.
If it wasn’t for Tatum’s effort in the 2012-22 season, there is no way that the Celtics would have reached the NBA Finals. Never mind his record-breaking turnovers during the title run because he made up for it with what he provided on both ends of the ball. He was pivotal in the first round against Kevin Durant on defense, which continued through the second and Conference Final rounds. In the Finals, Tatum shot the ball exceptionally well from everywhere on the court, but Golden State’s defense proved to be too much for him in the end. Something tells me that Tatum isn’t done with Finals appearances in his career.
2. Kyrie Irving
Who he is as a person and his beliefs off of the court have somewhat taken away from who Kyrie Irving is as a basketball player. It is extremely unfortunate because those things shouldn’t matter when we evaluate his immense talent. Kyrie is a gifted scorer, efficient in shooting the ball, and a well-above-average distributor of the basketball. During his time with Cleveland next to LeBron James, there is just no way that the team is able to appear in 4 straight Finals or even defeat the Warriors in 2016.
Irving played a massive role in the Cavaliers’ success during the 2010s Finals runs, regardless if the fans want to give him the credit or not. Over those 3 seasons, Irving averaged 22.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG during the regular season. It was just as great during the Finals, especially during the 2016 Finals when the Cavs erased a 3-1 lead to win their first title. Overall, in his 3 Finals appearances with the Cavaliers, Irving averaged 27.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 4.2 APG in 13 career Finals games. That is pretty good for someone who is often referred to as “no help.”
1. LeBron James
LeBron James is far and away Stephen Curry’s best Finals adversary. The 2 are forever linked together for the battles they faced off in during their dominance of the 2010s. James is highly regarded as one of the greatest players to ever live, and his performances against the loaded Warriors teams are a huge part of the reason why. Although James’ teams are 1-3 against Curry in the NBA Finals, James was the best player on the floor on more than one occasion.
James did everything he possibly could over the span of the 3 Finals series that the Cavaliers dropped to the Warriors. In 2015, LeBron averaged 35.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 8.8 APG, but the Cavs fell in 6 games. In 2017, James averaged 33.6 PPG, 12.0 RPG, and 10.0 APG, but the Cavs, unfortunately, fell in 5 games. The following season in 2018, the Cavaliers were swept in 4 games. James still performed like the all-time great he is by averaging 34.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 10.0 APG. Many do not fault James for the Cavs losses to Golden State, and in some contexts, that is the right analysis. However, let’s not diminish Curry’s accomplishments simply because it was LeBron that he was up against.
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