Has Stephen Curry Passed Tim Duncan in All-Time NBA Rankings?
It's not that often that a player spends their entire career with the team that drafted them, and it's even rarer that they lead them to years and years of success.
Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant headline that list (even if the Lakers didn't technically draft Kobe). Stephen Curry, after winning his fourth title with the Golden State Warriors, has all but cemented himself into that club.
On Wednesday, Curry and the Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs 125-120. He scored 46 points, a season high. Since breaking out as an All-Star back in 2014, Curry has established himself as easily the best player in franchise history.
Steve Kerr was lucky enough to share the floor with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Duncan, so he knows what certain players mean to certain franchises. After Kerr beat his old team, he gave Curry the ultimate compliment.
"When you have the privilege of watching Steph for 11-plus years, like I have, you get used to this," said Kerr. "And he's the reason this whole thing has happened. He's our Tim Duncan. He's the sun, you know, in our solar system. And he's just such an incredible player and teammate, and it's great to see him back out there."
Curry missed three games earlier this month with a bad case of the cold, but returned with a vengeance after a slow game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Curry, unlike Duncan, hasn't aged with grace. That's only because he hasn't aged at all. The Warriors are yet to have a passing-of-the-torch moment to the next generation of players, and as long as Curry is still on the team, the offensive identity will run through him. He's undoubtedly the greatest shooter ever and is easily a top-12 player to ever suit up in the NBA.
With two MVPs and four Finals rings, Curry's place in NBA history is undeniable. Unlike Duncan, he wasn't the clear-cut first option on every title team he ever played for (maybe Kevin Durant took the throne in 2017 and 2018), but he has been the beating heart and soul of the Warriors since they drafted him.
Kerr played for six NBA teams over his career, but he's made it clear that his time with Duncan and Gregg Popovich was perhaps the most meaningful. Like most branches of the Popovich coaching tree, he has supreme respect for the Silver and Black. He runs a Spurs-style system and locker room, so crowning Curry as his version of Duncan is the ultimate praise.