"It's not even close": Former LeBron James teammates dispute Steph Curry's status as greatest PG
Steph Curry recently invited a ton of criticism after declaring himself as the greatest point guard in NBA history. He weighed himself above NBA legends like Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Oscar Robertson, Isaiah Thomas, and Jerry West.
LeBron James' teammates Ryan Jefferson and Channing Frye recently appeared on the podcast Road Trippin'. When asked about Steph Curry's rank as an all-time great point guard in comparison to Magic Johnson, here is what Jefferson said at the 14-minute mark:
"Steph doesn't want that smoke, as great as Steph is. And, Steph could make a claim. I didn't say it would be accurate. Magic Johnson, it's not even close. It's not even close."
Ryan Jefferson dismissed the prospects of Curry being better than Magic Johnson at the first sound of it and warned Curry against such comparisons. Frye had a similar mindset and had this to say:
"Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were the two most next to Michael Jordan. They are the two most influential people for the NBA in the history of its 79 years. Larry and Magic built the NBA up to what it is now. He went to 8 finals, 9 finals or is it 10 finals in a row? His stats are so astronomically wild. Like, the only rookie to ever get a finals MVP, MVP almost every single year, championship after championship."
Frye continued:
"Steph is that dude. But, Steph ain't that dude. You ain't that dude. You ain't him. You are not him."
Channing Frye was bold and clear that as great as Steph Curry is, he is not Magic Johnson. There was no doubt among the minds of Jefferson and Frye that Johnson was the better player among the two.
Gilbert Arenas sounds off on Steph Curry: “Steph Curry didn’t change the game"
Gilbert Arenas recently asked Steph Curry who the best point guard in NBA history was. In response, Curry crowned himself over Magic Johnson and everyone else.
However, while Arenas appreciates the influence that Curry has had on the game, he still puts Johnson ahead of Curry. Arenas did not buy into Curry's explanation of why he is better than Johnson.
In December 2022, when the three-time all-star Gilbert Arenas appeared on Vlad TV, he had a hot take on Steph Curry's influence on the game.
Curry is widely believed to be the best shooter in NBA history, especially after becoming the NBA's all-time three-point leader. Today, people around the world believe that Curry has changed the game in that a lot more players, fans, and kids shoot three-pointers, given the success of the 35-year-old.
However, Arenas believes that the Warriors had more to do with changing the game than Curry.
Here is what Arenas had to say:
"Steph Curry didn't change the game. The Warriors changed the game. Steph in Pop's (Gregg Popovich) organization does not change the game. So, the whole system that allows Steph to be himself and then have to conform to a system."
Arenas continued:
"There's coaches that allow players to explore your game. And there's coaches that say, 'No, this is my style. You fit in to this style.' Having Mark Jackson first, then having Steve Kerr and say, 'Hey, Steph, do you. Go out there and explore.' That system with Steph, Klay (Thompson) and how they thought the game is what changed it."