Is Steph Curry The Modern Michael Jordan?
Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr made headlines after the 127-118 win on Jan. 16 versus the Washington Wizards.
In response to the reception that Warriors superstar Stephen Curry received from the Capital One Arena, the nine-time NBA champion, who was a part of one of the most infamous dynasties in the NBA, had this to say.
“He’s the modern Michael Jordan,” Kerr said. “I used to see this playing with the Bulls. Half the crowd’s got red 23 jerseys on and now half the crowd’s got blue and yellow 30 jerseys.”
Curry’s Popularity
It’s no secret that Curry has become one of the faces of the league. On Instagram and Twitter, Curry has a combined 65.8 million followers. In terms of jersey sales, Curry ranks sixth all time in terms of jersey sales, according to Sports Keeda.
Recently, the Warriors broke another NBA record of having the most watched regular season game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, a record that was previously held by Jordan in the 1998 season, according to AP News.
One thing Curry has taken advantage of that Jordan could not eclipse was the international landscape. His brand is easily recognizable and children from across oceans idolize No. 30.
During the 2016-17 NBA season where the Warriors went 73-9, Curry received MVP chants on the road — something that only a player of Curry’s caliber can achieve.
In the 127-118 win over the Wizards with the arena in awe after Curry’s late fourth quarter heave, the crowd began the MVP chants once again.
Only a handful of the league’s best players with the most fandom have received the pleasure of receiving MVP chants on the road. It takes a special, unique, once-in-a-generation type talent to achieve that status — and Curry’s popularity has risen over the years.
The GOAT Conversation
Curry’s resume is impressive, to say the least.
Four-time NBA champion, all-time leader in 3-pointers made in NBA history, two-time MVP with the one and only unanimous award in 2016, eight-time all star, eight-time All-NBA selection, all-rookie first team 2010, the greatest shooter of all time, the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP in 2022.
Accomplishments aside, Curry has changed the scope of the NBA. The pacing and spacing has changed since the 2014-15 NBA season, and now teams are taking and making more 3-pointers in the NBA season.
Curry has inspired the next generation of basketball stars, and as a result, they’ve become more skilled. The footwork, working of different angles and degree of difficulty of some of the shot-making in the league is at an all time high.
And it all circles back to Curry.
One could argue how dominant Jordan was when he was in the league. But, all of his talent and athleticism was god-given. Jordan had an insane work ethic to make him dominant year after year, but some things can’t be taught, like Jordan’s high-flying ability.
But, ball-handling, shooting and every basketball fundamentals could be honed in and tuned to perfection. Because of Curry’s unique playstyle, the emphasis on ball-handling and shooting in particular has created guards like Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
Additionally, Curry’s unselfish leadership has attracted the most sought-after free agency signing in the past decade. When Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant committed to the Warriors back in 2016, Curry and his unselfish nature was one of the reasons.
Success Comparison
Each championship team has its own unique stories and challenges along the way.
For Curry and the Warriors, it’s always been the turnovers, overloading roster construction and bad injury luck that’s held them back from a potential three-peat.
Because of the constant offense in the Kerr system, the Warriors are often prone to turnovers that could shift the momentum of the game. Players would always thread the needle rather than hitting the single play. It is the constant achilles heel for the Warriors, but the Warriors have found ways to overcome it.
In terms of roster construction, during the KD-era, the Warriors still found value in veteran minimum players. However, because of the limited cap space, the Warriors in 2019 had players like Quinn Cook and Alfonzo McKinnie starting in the NBA Finals.
Bad injury luck is also another unfortunate side of the Warriors run. Durant infamously injured his Achilles in the 2019 Finals, followed by Warriors guard Klay Thompson’s ACL injury. In 2020, Curry injured his left hand and missed most of the season, and Warriors forward Draymond Green was battling injuries throughout those seasons.
As a result, the Warriors were unable to three-peat in 2019, but won back-to-back championships and proved the critics wrong when they won the championship again in 2021-22. It’s too early to jump into conclusions now, but should the Warriors flip the switch, they still have enough time in the season.
What made Jordan different from the rest of the greats was the fact that he went 6-0 in the NBA Finals and three-peated twice. Jordan set the standard of winning and perfection.
Championships are one thing — but perfection is another.
Conclusion
It really seems like Curry has become the modern Michael Jordan based on his popularity, the GOAT conversation and his success.
On the road, DubNation travels well and there’s always going to be blue and yellow jerseys sprinkled around the arena. MVP chants while you’re playing away is also something only special players can receive.
Curry’s impact on the game is like none other and one could make an honest argument that he really is the greatest of all time. But, Jordan and his impact on the game of basketball as a whole is something we as fans can’t forget either.
Whether or not Curry is the modern Michael Jordan, one thing remains: appreciate greatness. We never know when or if we’ll ever see a player like Curry again.
(Photo credit: Noah Graham / Getty Images)