Kerr on Curry: "Steph, in a lot of ways, is like Michael Jordan"
The accolades just keep going for Stephen Curry. While it’s not exactly a medal, he received some pretty high praise from his head coach, which many players would reverse as a sort of mark of stature. Kerr, per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau, compared the Warriors star to his own former teammate and the greatest basketball player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.
“There are so many moments that stand out that they all kind of bleed together” Kerr said after stating the comparison, talking about Curry’s various accomplishments. “Maybe that’s the true sign of greatness”.
It’s not often that you get Jordan comparisons for point guards. In fact, it’d be hard to say its ever happened. Jordan, a 10-time scoring champion, is obviously one of the most skilled players to ever hit the hardwood, so him and Steph are certainly similar in that regard. While the GOAT played a decent bit above the rim, his impressive acrobatic finishing can be caught in flashes from Curry. Although Steph can’t throw down posters like they’re wide-open layups, the craft in the lane is still there.
Jordan was also an excellent shooter, and the catalyst for what many people see as the beginning of a transition towards a more perimeter-centric league. His mid-range bag changed the game in a similar trajectory that we see Steph’s from beyond the arc doing the same thing. His space creation, both on and off-ball, seems to be the natural evolution from how Jordan set the precedent for guards and forwards to start dominating the game with the jumper.
Steph’s also shown to have a bit of a vicious streak as of late. His now-infamous celebration where he T’s up the ref is an all-time moment and more indicative of his mentality than people may think. He’s a natural shark in the water: He may be passive, but the second there’s blood in the water, he goes ballistic. There are few players who can turn a 15-point deficit into a 20-point lead just by how they affect the game, and Steph is on that list with a guy like Jordan.
The Warriors will be playing the Blazers tomorrow night, and it’s possible that (if he makes 16 threes), he could set the new all-time record for three-pointers made in the regular season. The fact that we’re even having a debate about whether it’s possible is pretty indicative of Curry’s very high skill level, and the plausibility that he could do it.
Infamous for historically torching the Blazers in big games (he averaged 37 against them in the Western Conference Finals not too long ago), Steph will likely have the ultimate green light in a contest against the league’s worst-rated defense. Of course, as a team first player, it’s possible that the situation dictates he doesn’t shatter his record in dramatic fashion, but if the game calls his number and he goes crazy, it’d be a night for the ages.
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