Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is largely considered to be the greatest shooter in NBA history.
Leading the league in career 3s with 3,747, he’s transformed the way the game has been played. Hoopers around the world want to emulate his prowess from beyond the arc, the range and touch he’s displayed for well over a decade. However, not everyone thinks he’s entered the inner sanctuary of greatness.
Was Tracy McGrady Right to Omit Stephen Curry From Top-10?
Like many of his contemporaries, Hall of Fame wing Tracy McGrady is outspoken. But when his latest comments made the rounds, people couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“No, you trippin on that,” McGrady says, responding to a tweet stating Curry was a top-five NBA player of all-time. “He hasn’t cracked my top-10 yet. He just hasn’t.”
“I think Steph has had a phenomenal career… Four championships, two league MVPs, he has a Finals MVP,” he continues.
Steph is easily the greatest shooter of all time but he’s not in my top 5… pic.twitter.com/yfvHrbvGSM
— T Mac (@Tmac_213) June 2, 2024
“But if you go back in his career and if you look at when Draymond (Green) is out of the lineup for the season. If you look at (when) Klay Thompson has missed a season or half of that season.
To me, if you’re that great —if you’re going to be a top-five (player) —and one of your guys are missing and you can’t make the playoffs, I can’t put you in the top-five or top-10. I just can’t.”
“… Greatness to me,” McGrady explains, “is when if one of yours guys are out, you still gotta elevate your team, at least to the playoffs.”
He Has A Point Though, Right?
McGrady makes a point, or so it seems.
In the two seasons that Klay Thompson missed with his ACL and Achilles injuries, the Warriors won 54 games combined. Golden State also failed to clinch a playoff spot this season, due in no small part to Draymond Green missing 27 games. The Warriors went 33-22 with Green in the lineup, a win percentage (.600) good enough for sixth in Western Conference.
But of consensus top-five players (Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson), there are three who didn’t make the playoffs every season.
Jordan didn’t make the playoffs in either of his final two seasons despite having a 20-point scorer alongside him in both. In the last six seasons, James has missed the playoffs twice. Abdul-Jabbar’s teams failed to reach the playoffs twice while he was in his prime.
Russell and Johnson’s teams clinched postseason berths in every season they played though. The same can be said of Julius Erving, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and Clyde Drexler. If taking McGrady’s criteria to be absolute, perhaps the real top-five should be Russell, Johnson, Erving, Malone, and Stockton. But of course, that isn’t sensible in reality.
A Better Top-Five Filter
Curry may not be top-five if considering that he’s only won one Finals MVP award either. If looking at players to have won multiple league and Finals MVPs, the list features Jordan, James, Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and Kawhi Leonard. There were no Finals MVPs when Russell was winning titles, but he may have won several if there was.
With that being said, that’s a reasonable top-10, though Leonard sticks out like a sore thumb. If replacing him, Curry is a solid choice. Erving, with four MVPs and a championship, is as well.
Frankly, as McGrady says, “Top-five? No chance.”
Top-10 though? Potentially.
