"He changed the game, he's got every guard thinking they've got range" - Kevin Garnett on Paul Pierce leaving Steph Curry out of his top 10 list
Hall of Famer and Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett recently went off on his former teammate Paul Pierce for not including Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in his all-time top-10.
Curry won his first Bill Russell Finals MVP and fourth NBA championship this past summer, which moved him up the GOAT list in the eyes of many. However, Pierce feels Curry still has a lot to achieve before he can be considered among the top10 players of all time.
On Showtime's latest show, which also featured former NBA stars Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Kevin Garnett sounded off on Pierce for his opinion.
"You tripping," Garnett said. "The man changed the game, the way you shoot the ball. Secondly, he does it on a consistent basis. Every guard that's under 6 foot thinks that they are Steph Curry and shoot the ball. The pick-up on him is as soon as he crosses half-court. He changed the game, he's got every guard thinking they've got range."
The NBA's all-time rankings are a fun way to keep the conversation surrounding the game going.
KG on Steph Curry:
(s/o @SunGodSteph) https://t.co/CkbeVWlxlH
Is Steph Curry among the top 10 players of all time?
Although all top 10 lists are subjective, NBA fans have been passionately debating this topic for a while. Some NBA analysts have stated that Curry is already a top-five player, while others have maintained that he needs some more hardware to cement his place on the list.
While other players in the discussion might have more accolades, Curry has an accomplishment that only a rare few can claim to have - changing the game of basketball. He made the 3-pointer the biggest shot of the game and has helped NBA defenses and offenses evolve because of his threat from beyond the arc.
Across age groups, the 3-point is now the most practiced shot in basketball.
Stephen Curry is a four-time NBA champion, two-time league MVP, and the reigning finals MVP. However, his accolades can be rivaled by more than a few superstars. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain are all as successful as Curry, if not more.
So is Curry really a top-10 player of all time or does he need to win more accolades to replace someone from the list? The debate will likely rage on for a few more years.