Stephen Curry is practically worshipped by ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith on the latest episode of First Take
On his show, First Take, Stephen A. Smith spoke as if he could kiss Stephen Curry’s feet, and he was more than eager to share one opinion in particular that might be controversial to basketball fans.
After surpassing Wilt Chamberlain to become the all-time leading scorer for the Warriors, Smith declared: “Steph Curry is the greatest shooter God ever created. Period.”
Mic drop.
Curry’s historic performance on Monday night, saw him dropp 53 points – including 10 3-pointers – against the Denver Nuggets, and had already broken Chamberlain’s record by the first quarter. Nicknamed the “baby-faced assassin,” Curry already holds most of the team’s records, including all-time assists and 3-pointers, and he’s the only two-time MVP in franchise history.
When asked to compare Curry and Chamberlain’s impact on the game, Smith passionately defended Curry: “You have better set shooters, better spot up shooters. … You have somebody that can shoot better at a contested point of view at times. No one can do it all from long range the way Steph Curry does.”
Smith believes Stephen Curry will change the game more than Wilt Chamberlain
Smith even got giddy with excitement when he described just how much Curry has transformed into the ultimate sniper, shooting from 30, 40, or 50-feet, with or without pressure – a feat that fans and players alike can only gape at in amazement. At one point, Smith talks about Michael Jordan changing basketball in his own way: when people thought “the key to success was your athleticism coupled with some decent size.”
By contrast, Curry’s 6-foot-3 frame and 190-pound body defies all odds of him being successful, and yet he’s not only achieved success, but legendary status in the Warriors franchise and in the league overall. There’s also a certain underdog mentality that Curry’s popularity has created, inspiring neighborhood hoopsters to become big-time stars.
Smith ends his ode to Curry with the kind of rousing stuff that sports movies are made of: “It’s got people now in the park shooting jump shots all the time, you don’t have to be 7-foot-1. You can dream of being Steph Curry.”
Given Curry’s unreal multi-season dominance as a Warrior, it’s safe to say no Golden State player will come close to his records for a while. In the meantime, we can sit back, relax, and watch Curry do his thing.