Kyle Smedley is a journalism and telecommunications major and writes for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
June 16, 2022, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 103-90 to win their seventh NBA Championship and their fourth of the Stephen Curry era. Perhaps more important to the legacy of Curry is the additional hardware he recieved as he earned Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his performance throughout six games.
No matter how great the previous three NBA Championships were for Chef Curry, he had been chasing that elusive Finals MVP that previous teammates Andre Iguadola and Kevin Durant won before him. With this accolade, Curry has finally cemented himself among the all-time greats.
Not to say Curry wasn't already in the conversation, as he is undoubtedly the greatest three-point shooter in the history of basketball, but now Curry has four Larry O'Brien Trophies, two MVP awards, eight All-Star and All-NBA appearances and a Finals MVP. He has the most three-pointers ever made, is a two time NBA Scoring Champion and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Greatness.
However, NBA fans knew Steph was great before, but where does he truly stack up now? Is he a top 10 player in NBA history, the greatest point guard ever, or none of the above?
Well, it would be hard to say Curry is anything less than top 10 of all-time. Of course, lists like these are subjective, but Curry has the accolades and pure talent to back it up, and I can't think of 10 players better than him.
Everyone knows Curry is the greatest shooter from distance the game of basketball has ever seen, but what is truly undervalued is his ballhandling and playmaking skills, which are among the likes of which the sport has never seen.
As far as the greatest point guard ever, I'm still going with Magic Johnson. Yes, Curry is infinitely better than Magic from beyond the arc, but Magic Johnson may be the greatest passer of all-time, was an unbeliveable athlete and leader and his five NBA Championships and three MVP awards put him above and beyond, into the conversation for top five NBA players ever.
That said, Curry is certainly right on his tail, gaining on Johnson year after year.
Sitting around comparing and making lists is fun, but why not take a break from that, and just appreciate the greatness of Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam prepares for tip-off against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodola during Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals June 2, 2019. The Warriors appeared in five consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2019, earning three championships. Chensiyuan, Photo Courtesy
The Warriors original big three was back in 2021-22 with Steph, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green together again. NBA fans saw the emergence of Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins finally showed what he is truly capabale of.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr won his ninth ring of his career, five as a player and now four as a coach, cementing himself as one of the great NBA head coaches. Not only is Steph Curry an all-time great player, the Warriors are on an all-time great run for a franchise, making the NBA Finals six times in eight years and winning four.
Getting back on track, Steph Curry's greatness is on another level than most athletes due to the seeming ease he is able to perform with. When Curry puts up a three-point shot, chances are it's going in, no matter the distance.
There aren't many athletes like that in the history of the game.
While Steph Curry established himself as a generational talent some time ago, it's time NBA fans give him his roses and recognize they are watching a once in a lifetime basketball player before their very eyes. If this NBA Finals is anything to go by, Curry and the Warriors are here to stay, this was no swan song.
Curry is 34 years old and has played 13 seasons, and while many three-point specialists play longer than most players, Curry has a history of wear and tear and does much more than just shoot the three ball. While his time isn't running out, it may be running short.
Then again, many said that about LeBron James as long as five years ago, and he is still a top five player in the NBA. Who knows, maybe Curry plays another six years, adding to his incredible career.
As someone who has watched Curry his entire professional career, I may have bias, but he stands in a position where not many players in the history of basketball can match his resume or his talent. He is truly one of a kind and this NBA Championship/Finals MVP further cement his all-time great legacy.
Personally, I hope we, as NBA fans, have many more years left to watch Curry work his magic, and I'll be taking these years in, as they truly will be the end of an era.
Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kyle.smedley@bsu.edu or on Twitter @smedley1932.
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