Nick Young’s Hot Take Sparks Curry-Kyrie Debate

Point guards Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving have undoubtedly been two of the most influential players of the 21st century because of their offensive elegance and captivating styles of play. The two small guards give young fans the outlet to emulate their style by tricking themselves into believing they can someday replicate the handle of Irving or shoot like Steph. It’s why signature sneakers of big men never generate the same revenue as the shoes of guards do, since the latter are far more relatable to younger fans because of their stature. 

Hence, the fanbases of two of the game’s best at the same position often clash in discussions of whose powers are superior on the hardwood. In the early years of this debate, the argument for why Irving might be better than Curry peaked in 2016 after Irving sunk one of the most iconic shots in NBA history during Game 7 of the Finals over the outstretched arms of Steph to ultimately cap off the greatest comeback in Finals history over the best regular season team of all time.

Fast forward eight years to 2024, and the debate has certainly cooled off in Curry’s favor. Yet this week, former Warriors’ teammate Nick Young gave his puzzling take on the discussion.

“Kyrie is the Kobe to Curry’s MJ, [people are] scared to say he’s better ..” Young said via his Twitter/X account earlier this week.

The take is without a doubt a heater, especially considering Steph played a gigantic role in winning Young his one NBA championship, which he proudly strutted across the streets of Oakland in a bathrobe celebrating in 2018. 

It is also extremely rare for any former teammate of Curry to come out and publicly denounce any part of Steph’s career in the slightest. 

Now it is important to note that the tweet looks like praise of Irving more than a true jab at Steph. Kyrie has etched himself as a top 10 point guard of all-time in the eyes of many hoops fans throughout his 13-year NBA career, where he’s compiled a resume of eight all-star appearances, three All-NBA nods, the 2012 Rookie of the Year award, and of course his 2016 ring won against the Dubs. 

With all that said, while it was a reach to claim Irving’s supremacy over Curry even after the clutch finals dagger, eight years later the take just looks plain silly. By 2016, Curry had already won two league MVPs (including the NBA’s first-ever unanimous MVP season), which holds true to this day with Steph leading 2-0. Curry also took home 2022 NBA Finals MVP honors, another honor Irving has yet to win. Both did manage to win an all-star game MVP (but we can all agree that doesn't hold much value).

MVPs aside, Chef Curry virtually has the upper hand over Uncle Drew in just about any accolade you can think of. Curry has four rings to Irving’s one. Two scoring titles to Kyrie’s none, along with a steals title in 2016, a WCF MVP, 10x All-NBA, 10x all-star, and a nod on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2022. Curry is also the all-time three-point king in the regular season, playoffs and Finals.

One of Steph’s biggest intangibles over why he trumps Irving in a head-to-head debate is not an award or necessarily a skill: It’s his reliability. Never once has anyone questioned Curry’s commitment to the team and winning throughout his illustrious 15-year career. The same can not be said about Irving, something which has plagued his career and reputation. The narrative surrounding Irving springs from his desire to leave Lebron and the Cavs in 2017, in search of his own team to lead and not play second fiddle. After two failed seasons as “the man” in Boston, Irving left for Brooklyn to join forces with former league MVP and 2x Finals MVP Kevin Durant. That marriage, which also included a visit from another former MVP in James Harden, also ended in flames with all three being traded by the 2023 trade deadline. With just one playoff series victory to show for.

Steph, however, has essentially been the undisputed face of the franchise in Golden State since Monta Ellis was shipped off to Milwaukee in 2012. Curry has been the catalyst of one of the league’s greatest dynasties turning the Warriors into one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, while also flat-out changing the way the game is played with his high-volume distance shooting.

The two generational guards aren’t done yet, and still look to write the final chapters of their respective careers. The popular shift in the debate from Irving supporters seems to be they now claim, “Irving is more skilled,” which is a rather flawed take itself, but that’s another conversation. It’s only fitting the debate gets sparked by Nick Young, a player widely known for his antics rather than anything else.

(Photo credit: Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images)