It’s a whole new world in the NBA. The league has a new 3-point king in Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and everyone in “The Association” is celebrating how Curry has changed the game of basketball.
But it’s not just the new generation that digs Curry’s game. “Old heads” of the NBA are celebrating Curry’s greatness, too.
According to a very well-timed article by The Athletic, a select group of ex-NBA players voted Curry as the present-day baller they enjoy watching the most. Curry received 32.7 percent of the votes, followed by Nets forward Kevin Durant with 16.8 percent and Lakers F LeBron James at 11.1 percent, respectively.
Here’s a sampling of the comments from those former players, with two of them contributing anonymously.
32.7% — Stephen Curry
• “He’s a pure player. He plays with joy. He looks like he’s having fun.” — Andrew Walker, a wing who played for the New Orleans Jazz during the 1976-77 season
• “He is the best shooter in the game, has outstanding ballhandling and passing skills, and the Warriors play more of a five-man offense than most teams.” — a player from the mid-1970s
• “In addition to his shooting range, his movement without the ball is outstanding.” — Ollie Johnson, a forward who played 10 NBA seasons from 1972-82
• “Curry impacts the game without even having a ball in his hands. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen that before.” — Brian Scalabrine
• “His shot is so pure that I think it’s going in every time he shoots.” — someone who played from the mid-1970s to the mid-’80s
• “He is the greatest combination of shooter and ballhandler in my lifetime.” — Marv Roberts
That’s some great insight compiled by The Athletic. I love all the comments, but I think I like the fifth bullet point the most. “His shot is so pure that I think it’s going in every time he shoots.” I think every NBA fan, especially Warriors fans, can relate.
What’s your favorite quote from above? Hit up the comments below and let me hear about it. Have another current player you like to watch more? I’m intrigued by that, too, and would love to know. How about your favorite player to watch, past or present?
The results of the vote by ex-players show the versatility of Curry’s appeal, however. He’s changed the game with his prolific, long-distance shooting, inspiring millions of young basketball players and even his contemporaries. But the old heads? They’re entertained and inspired by Curry, too. As I said, it’s a whole new world, and much of it seems to belong to the new 3-point king, AKA The Golden Child, Stephen Curry.
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