Tale of the Tape:
LeBron James: 6’8″, 250 lbs., age 31, in his
13th season
2 Championships, 4 MVPs, 12 All-Star appearances, 9 time All-NBA 1st team
Career: 27.2 PPG, 6.9 APG, 7.1 RPG, 49.6 FG%
Stephen Curry: 6’3″, 190 lbs., age 27, in his
7th season
1 Championship, 1 MVP, 3 All-Star appearances, 1 time All-NBA 1st team
Career: 21.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.3 RPG, 47.5 FG%
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As we reach a lull in the sports world, it’s time for a hypothetical: Who do you build a team around? The stats point to LeBron, but obviously sports are more than just stats. Not to mention LeBron’s got 6 more seasons under his belt and has definitely had more talent around him (debatable as of late, but in the past no doubt).
LeBron James is obviously a freak athlete and could probably be an NFL linebacker if this basketball thing didn’t work out. He’s been drawing Jordan comparisons since age 18 and he’s been called the best of this generation. He can shoot, dribble, rebound with the best of them. He also has a very “me-oriented” attitude with the media at times, abandoned his hometown to form a super team in South Beach, has been known to take defensive possessions off, and pretty much singlehandedly got his last coach fired. Immense talent and a chance at a championship virtually every year, but it definitely comes with a price.
Steph Curry, despite his obvious talent, is relatively new to this argument. The Baby-Faced Assassin carried Golden State to the championship last year and to a record start this season, but before that had little to his record after his Dayton days. His ball-handling is phenomenal, his outside shot is lights out, and his passing is grossly underrated. He’s become the young face of this game, but his size limits him and some say he, along with his teammates, may just be products of the right system. He underachieved early in his career, but the sky is the limit for Curry for the next decade.
So who’s better to build a team around right now? My vote is for Curry. Why? Well he’s younger and seems to have more natural talent, but one thing stands out: he makes those around him better. LeBron’s supporting cast includes Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, two players who, when combined with LeBron, JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, and others, were supposed to be the champions for years to come. But Cleveland’s Big Three has never gotten in a true consistent rhythm as a unit and the team has little to show for their time together. Golden State, meanwhile, is virtually the opposite. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were never supposed to be the stars they currently are, but they’ve had success in Golden State mainly for one reason: Wardell Stephen Curry II (yeah, that’s his real name). In my opinion, Klay isn’t Klay without Steph, and Draymond isn’t Draymond without Steph. So, if I’m starting an NBA franchise and have enough to pay one of these men for his services, I’m going all in for Steph Curry.
