Stephen Curry and LeBron James are the evolved forms of yesterday’s NBA stars
The two stars of this NBA Finals have taken the best qualities of past greats. They exemplify how the league moves forward, but only one can be a champion.
We measure eras and generations on the paths blazed by superstars in the NBA. From Russell to Kareem to Bird and Magic, Jordan and on through LeBron, this is how we count the days and measure progress. The history of the game teaches us that there was always something that came before. The great ones bend and shape that existing template into something that becomes their own, establishing a new distinct style that others may draw from in the future.
It’s the NBA’s version of natural selection. Evolution on a basketball court.
Stephen Curry shouldn’t exist as he does in this league. If he did, it would be more in line with his father Dell, a sweet-shooting wing who wisely stayed as far away from the giants in the paint as possible. An unsurpassed shooter with unlimited range, Steph is also not afraid to mix it up inside and drive straight into the teeth of opposing defenses. At 6’3 and 185 pounds, he simply shouldn’t be able to do the things he does.
Yet, Curry, as improbable as he is to believe, is not without precedent. There have only been three other Most Valuable Players with his body type, but they have existed. One is Steve Nash, to whom Curry is often compared. Another is Allen Iverson, to whom he is not, except in the Bizarro realm. The other is Bob Cousy, to whom he should be compared more often.
James and Curry
Curry is a beguiling mix of all three. He has AI’s devil on his shoulder whispering sweet nothings about ridiculous shots that would get every other player in the league benched immediately. He has Nash’s angel on the other, reminding him to make plays for his teammates. Hovering over both is Cousy’s creative genius, the patron saint of pathologically competitive guards, who refuse to accept the restrictions that others have chosen for them.
The other thing Curry shares with all of his spiritual ancestors is the ability to conjure space with his dribble. Using step-backs, crossovers and dazzling sleights of hand allowed them to ward off defenders and create tiny spheres on the court in which they operate in an almost impenetrable bubble. When they are on, they appear to be floating high above the ritualistic carnage of hand-checks, swipes and elbows.
Their manner was as different as their personalities. Cousy bobbed and weaved. Iverson attacked relentlessly. Nash never stopped moving. Curry dances. Watch him maneuver to the basket with an effervescent hop to his step. Even when he’s not lining up a shot, Curry works with the beat of a shooter’s rhythm. He can do anything at any time within that cadence. That’s what makes him dangerous. As the league has embraced shooting and scoring point guards, he is very much a player of the moment.
Already this postseason, Curry has conquered three other superstars who joined him on the league's All-NBA first team in Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol and James Harden. In the finals, he will face the fifth member, who also happens to be the most complete player of his era and maybe ever: LeBron James.
While LeBron’s combination of size and strength allows him to draw from more sources than Curry, he is also a product of history. He’s a skilled tall passer, not unlike Magic Johnson. He’s a tough, rangy defender in the mold of Scottie Pippen. He possesses Larry Bird’s photographic memory and a late-career post-game that rivals Michael Jordan, if not in style than in effectiveness. LeBron is not just a player of his time. He is one for all-time.
For most of his career, James has been so good that he's been without peer. His generation includes a number of singular talents, such as Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Yet James distanced himself early and his most memorable battles have been with the older guard of the NBA: Paul Pierce's Celtics and Tim Duncan's Spurs.
The closest he's come to a natural rival is Kevin Durant. Along with Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron's Heat were able to oust KD's Thunder away in five games during their one finals meeting. The annual confrontations have not materialized like they did for Magic and Bird. This will be LeBron's second finals against a team that is led by a member of a younger generation.
Unlike that meeting with Oklahoma City, James will enter the finals without the benefit of star teammates. On his best days, Kyrie Irving approaches that realm, but Irving has been battling leg ailments that have limited his effectiveness. Yet, this Cavaliers' team is stout defensively and spaced with shooters. Since a flurry of midseason trades, they have been the second-best team in the league.
Curry's Warriors are deeper and more complete. They boast two of the best defenders at their respective positions in Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut, and a complementary star in the backcourt in Klay Thompson. They won 67 games and had the highest net differential since Jordan's Bulls of the late 90s. The only thing missing from their resume is a championship.
It’s fitting that Curry and Golden State’s final test will be against LeBron’s Cavaliers. This is how we measure greatness in the NBA. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.
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