Drawing up comparisons with current and former stars is a very common thing that happens in the NBA. It is mostly done between LeBron James and Michael Jordan which is known as the big debate to conclude who is the greatest of all time.
At times if the fans wish they add the likes of Kevin Durant and others into the conversation.
But recently a NBA Analyst has compared Jordan with Steph Curry. There is no doubt that Steph Curry is easily one of the greatest players to grace the NBA and is easily among the top five active players in the NBA.
But comparing him to MJ can be a little far fetched. While Curry has not yet reached the highs similar to the Chicago Bulls’ legend but the GSW talisman has one attribute which is greater than MJ.
Recently in an interview, Stephen A. Smith decided to build a Steph Curry vs Michael Jordan debate. Smith is known for his controversial takes and here again, he first clarified his stance, he said, “Steph doesn’t compare to MJ, size and height has something to do with it. His lack of defensive prowess has a lot to do with it. He’s not even close at defending like Michael Jordan did.”
But then he highlighted how offensively Curry can fight it out against Micahel Jordan. “But offensively, Steph Curry is in the conversation of MJ. We have never seen a shooter this phenomenal, ever. He didn’t have the aerial assault, he didn’t have the aerial arsenal that Michael Jordan had. Couldn’t have finished the basket the way MJ would’ve,” he added.
The Chef has changed the style of the play, not only in the NBA but overall in basketball. His ability to shoot the ball from long distances made everyone else also step up their game. It is his shooting that makes the GSW man stand out despite being only 6’3” in height.
Smith also pointed out how his shooting stands out and something which Jordan may not have done consistently. “With the exception of Kareem, Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, over 7’’ tall and dominant because of their height & size… there’s not single-playerer we look at and say, Michael Jordan couldn’t do that. We don’t see LeBron, we didn’t see Kobe, Vince Carter, or anybody else do anything that MJ couldn’t do offensively. Michael Jordan couldn’t shoot like that. Nobody could…”
The NBA Analyst concluded that Steph Curry may not be as good as Jordan in defence but his ability to hit 40ft jump shots makes him stand out amongst the crowd.
“Because of Steph Curry’s marksman ability, just shoot with his eyes closed… We made a big deal of what Michael Jordan did at the free-throw line, closing his eyes and hitting the FT at the Atlanta Hawks. We have seen Steph Curry shot 40-ft Jumpshots,” he concluded.
