Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce explained why he believes Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has had more influence on the NBA than LeBron James or Michael Jordan during an appearance on Thursday's show. uncontroversial.
”[Steph Curry’s] The impact on the game is even greater. [LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant]…I watched the Celtics game last night…his first 10 shots were 3-pointers. “Everyone thinks they can be Steph,” Pearce said.
Although Pierce has had a feud with James in the past, dating back to the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, Curry's influence on modern basketball is well-documented.
During Tuesday's episode, Watch out for game pods. James himself named the Warriors star, along with Hall of Fame point guard Allen Iverson, two of the most influential players in NBA history.
“Steph and Allen Iverson are two of the most influential people in our game in the time I've been watching and covering the game,” James said.
“These are two of the most influential people when it comes to playing the game and how they changed the game; [impact on] Kids, those are two guys you want to watch every night,” James added (per Kurt Herrin of NBC Sports).
The year before Curry's first MVP season, NBA teams averaged 21.5 3-point attempts per game (via Basketball Reference). In the 2023-24 season, teams are currently averaging 35.0 long distance attempts per night.
James and Jordan are arguably the two greatest players in NBA history, but Curry's influence on the current generation of players and teams cannot be understated.
