Nick Young recently shared a bold version.
The former Warriors player told X that Kyrie Irving is a better player than Stephen Curry and that people are “afraid” to admit it. He said the debate is similar to comparing Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant, as the latter is better than “His Airness” but never gets the recognition he deserves.
The wording of Young’s post confused many, but was successfully translated by the brightest minds at X.
In 2016, the Curry-Irving argument was fairly valid after Irving outperformed the Warriors’ sharpshooter in their epic NBA Finals showdown. Through the seven games, Irving averaged more points (27.1 to 22.6), assists (3.9 to 3.7) and steals (2.1 to 0.9), and also had better field shooting (.468 to .403) and three-pointers (.405 to .400). Ultimately, Irving’s scoring helped the Cavaliers overcome a 3-1 deficit after Curry and Co. struggled to cap off their record-breaking 73-9 regular season record.
In 2024, however, Irving doesn’t belong in the same league as Curry, regardless of the metrics, accomplishments or statistical milestones Young (or others like him) want to top. Curry has three more championship rings, six more All-NBA nods, two more MVPs, one more Finals MVP, one more All-Star nod, just over 6,000 more career points and nearly 2,000 more career assists.
Additionally, Curry is widely considered one of the two best point guards of all time and is on the top 10 list of all-time bests of some of his peers. After winning his fourth NBA title in 2022, Reggie Miller said Curry “kicked down the door” and took his rightful place among the game’s best. Miller even went so far as to say that Curry has surpassed the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain on the ladder of greatness.
Irving, on the other hand, delivered an outstanding performance in the 2024 NBA Finals, averaging 19.8 points and having a .414 field average and a .276 three-point average.
Maybe Young has simply blocked the series from his memory.
