Two names defined the second half of the 2010s: Stephen Curry and LeBron James. LeBron Goat is usually just something people say, but what if there's more to the story? Is it LeBron or Steph? Is Steph Curry better than LeBron?
With the two as the main faces of four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, the two generational superstars saw each other on the opposite sides of many debates through the latter half of the previous decade. The talks especially got hotter when Curry meteorically rose to superstardom in the 2015-16 season. His historic season earned him the first unanimous MVP award in NBA history, an accolade that James, currently with the Los Angeles Lakers, could have had in the 2012-13 season had the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn not voted for Carmelo Anthony over The King that season.
Nonetheless, now that we have some time to reflect due to the abrupt suspension of the 2019-20 season and now that their “rivalry” seems to have simmered a bit, we can probably revisit once again the James and Curry debate. Is it LeBron or Steph?
Most debates between LeBron James and Stephen Curry would probably begin with their career accolades and head-to-head battles, especially if you're looking at it through the Steph Curry is better than LeBron lens.
Through the first half of the 2010's, James was undoubtedly the best player in the world. He had established that by winning back-to-back MVPs (and four in total) and two straight NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013 and leading them to four straight Finals appearances.
As the 2014-15 season came along, Curry and the Warriors emerged and took the league by storm with a league-leading 67-15 regular season mark. James, meanwhile, returned to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers with a mission to win the city its first ever NBA title.
Both teams strolled through the playoffs. Curry and James faced off in the NBA Finals for the very first time. It was a showdown between the MVP and the undisputed “best player on the planet.” And in their first face off, Curry and the Dubs got the best of James and the Cavs in six games, despite the latter having a severely depleted lineup with the injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Nonetheless, the head-to-head box score read: Curry – 1, James – 0. So… Steph Curry better than LeBron? Hold on a second!
When the 2015-16 season rolled along, Golden State plowed through the league again, this time, setting an unprecedented 73-9 record, which still stands as the best regular season mark of all time. Curry had arguably the greatest individual regular season ever that saw him win his second straight MVP in unanimous fashion, the first in NBA history.
At this point, the debates really started turning toward Curry's direction and many were already thinking that he may have snatched the “best player in the world” crown over The King. Golden State and Cleveland then went on another collision course for another NBA Finals showdown.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors were on their way to capping off a magical regular season with a championship after they went up 3-1 with a possible close out Game 5 happening in Oracle. However, James, Irving, and the Cavaliers spoiled what could have been the greatest season ever by coming back from the 3-1 deficit (hence the 3-1 jokes). James finally accomplished his personal goal and won Cleveland its first ever NBA championship.
Now, Curry and James had a Finals win over the other. With The King spoiling Chef Curry's magical 2015-16 campaign, he emphatically proved that he is still the best player on the planet.
Of course, as we know, in the succeeding off-season, the Warriors landed Kevin Durant. His addition pretty much placed the Warriors on a different level from the rest of the league, including the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Golden State eventually won the next two Finals at the expense of Cleveland. This ultimately gave Curry the head-to-head Finals edge, 3-1.
As mentioned, LeBron James and Stephen Curry pretty much defined latter half of the 2010's. They both established themselves as, not only two of the greatest to ever step foot on a basketball court, but as two global icons all over the world. At that point, though, the LeBron Goat narrative was already etching in stone.
Obviously, what differs between the two superstars is the way they play and dominate the game in their respective ways.
James uses brute force and unbridled athleticism to dominate his opponents. His 6-foot-8, 250-lb. frame, along with his unique athletic gifts, allow him to bully his way to the basket. The 16-time All-Star doesn't solely plow his way through the paint all time, however. He also makes it a point to get his teammates involved and has established himself as one of the greatest passing forwards in league history. Through the course of his Hall of Fame career, James has become a well-rounded player, with the ability to impact the game in so many different ways.
Curry, on the one hand, doesn't have James' body or athletic gifts. Instead, at 6-foot-3 and 185-lbs., the three-time NBA champion uses his speed, craftiness, and most especially, his elite three-point shooting ability to dominate the game. There's no doubt at this point that Curry is already the greatest shooter to ever step foot on a basketball court.
In addition, their supporters also look into the way they impacted the game of basketball through the course of their careers.
As much as LeBron James has accomplished on the court, his off-court accolades are second to none. Many of James' see him as the player responsible for ushering in the player empowerment era in the NBA. The Akron-native isn't shy on using his voice and his platform to speak out. His “More Than an Athlete” stand has inspired other players to use their platforms as well to take control of their respective careers.
Stephen Curry, on the other hand, is responsible for “changing the game.” Many look at the Warriors superstar as the primary catalyst of ushering in this current era of pace-and-space and small-ball era that the NBA is in right now. Curry's otherworldly ability to stroke it from three-point distance and beyond certainly changed the way teams defend. With the game extending further and further outside, developing three-pointers has become a must-have even for big men. Centers who couldn't adapt and extend their range, and continued to live in the paint, lost their value.
Surely, their respective supporters used these points and would continue to use them whenever the LeBron versus Steph argument comes up. But at the end of the day, as we saw, James and Curry both changed the game for the better and they did it in their own unique ways.
Is Steph Curry better than LeBron? Is LeBron or Steph an argument even worth having? Maybe we just enjoy both and worry about it when the ride is over.
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