Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce explained on Thursday’s show why he believes Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry had a bigger impact on the NBA than LeBron James or Michael Jordan. Undisputed.
“(Steph Curry) had a bigger impact on the game than (LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant)… I watched the Celtics game last night… Top 10 Every shot was a three-pointer. Everybody thought they could be Steph,” Pierce said.
While Pierce has feuded with James in the past, dating back to their time as rivals on the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, Curry’s impact on the modern basketball landscape is well-documented.
on tuesday’s show Watch out for gaming pods, James himself ranks the Warriors star as two of the most influential players in NBA history, along with Hall of Fame point guard Allen Iverson.
“Steph and Allen Iverson are two of the most impactful guys in our game since I’ve been watching and covering it,” James said.
“Those two are the two most influential people when you play the game and how they changed the game and (the impact) on kids, those two are the ones you want to watch every night,” James added ( h/t Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).
The year before Curry’s first MVP season, NBA teams were averaging 21.5 three-point attempts per game (via Basketball Reference). The team is currently averaging 35.0 long-range shots per game in the 2023-24 season.
While James and Jordan are arguably the two greatest players in NBA history, Curry’s impact on contemporary players and teams cannot be underestimated.