Stephen Curry, Warriors
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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors sits on the bench.
Respected Golden State Warriors legend Tim Hardaway Sr. made a bold comment about Stephen Curry that upset some Warriors fans. Curry is already in the mix of the greatest point guard convo and the top 10 all-time players list depending on his career ends. However, most experts typically agree that Curry is already the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history.
Hardaway used his podcast to claim his teammate Chris Mullin was better than Curry from three-point range:
“Yeah, y’all never seen Chris Mullin. I’m going to tell you this. I didn’t see Chris Mullin miss for two and a half hours. That’s insane. I never been in the gym with Steph Curry, just like y’all never been in the gym with Chris Mullin. You think Steph Curry better, but you never been in the gym with Steph Curry. I’m telling you, I’ve been in the gym with Chris Mullin. Yes. What I saw, yes.”
Hardaway claims that watching Mullin shoot in practice during the early 90s “Run TMC” era proved he was the greatest shooter of all time. Unfortunately for Golden State, the big three of Hardaway, Mullin, and Mitch Richmond never contended for a title to make their run relatively overlooked historically.
Is Hardaway Disrespecting Steph Curry?
The term “disrespect” is often used when an older player tries to invalidate something an active player is doing today. Hardaway deserves the benefit of the doubt and appears to be arguing on behalf of his teammate more than he’s trying to downplay Curry’s unquestioned accomplishments.
None of Hardaway’s comments saw him criticizing Curry’s play nor did he say anything negative about the two-time MVP. Hardaway also made sure to specify that he’s talking about three-point shooting and never said Mullin is the better all-around player.
Shooting in practice is a flawed way to rank shooting, but no one can shut down Hardaway’s claims of Mullin not missing a shot for over two hours. Mullin was considered the best shooter in the league at a time when coaches didn’t want players to take a lot of three-pointers. Driving into the paint for easier buckets limited Mullin’s overall ability on the court.
Steph Curry’s Legacy Can’t Be Denied
Multiple legends from past eras have tried to diminish Curry’s greatness since shooting and finesse play are more accepted today. Curry would have been forced to deal with more physical defenses in past eras, but that isn’t his fault today.
No other player has dominated as much via the three-point shot as Curry did to become a two-time MVP and four-time NBA Champion against stars like LeBron James and James Harden. Golden State is still trying to contend due to Curry playing like a top ten player in the league when active, despite his older age today.
The greatest ten-to-fifteen players get judged by the highest market of greatness via the total rings and MVP Awards. Curry used shooting to reach that level and will be considered the greatest shooter of all time until someone passes him. No past or active player poses a realistic threat to Curry’s legacy, despite Hardaway’s claims.