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Stephen Curry vs LeBron James: An All-Time great debate

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Finals history

It’s time to dive into the most controversial aspect of this argument. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have eliminated LeBron James a total of three times, dismantling the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 and 2018 with 4-1 and 4-0 series wins.

The Cavaliers and Warriors faced off in four consecutive seasons. In these matchups, the Warriors have an overall 12-7 record and have only been bested in one seven-game series.

On paper, it looks like this category should go to Curry in a landslide. But, there are so many questions that surround this situation. Do all rings hold the same value? Are we allowed to make excuses due to injuries? Does the FInals MVP Award mean anything?

For example, does the 2017 championship in which the Dubs stacked the deck by adding Kevin Durant hold the same value of Cleveland’s victory in 2016? Both teams may get a ring at the end of the day, but is one more valuable than the other?

All-Stars on each team:

  • 2015: GSW (2) CLE (2)
  • 2016: GSW (3) CLE (1)
  • 2017: GSW (4) CLE (3)
  • 2018: GSW (4) CLE (2)

I know were judging individuals, but what about the overall team? Outside of maybe 2015, the Dubs had a better roster than Cleveland in each matchup.

Finally, if we are comparing Curry and James, can we use their finals record as much of an indicator if Curry was never named the Finals MVP? It feels odd to claim that Curry eliminated James if he was never even crowned the best player of the series.

In fact, James was likely the best player of every single matchup. At least individually, James posted the best statistics in each series and even led both teams in every single statistic in 2016.

At the end of the day, Curry still has the advantage over James simply because of their finals record. However, it’s impossible to claim that Curry was better than James individually in any of their meetings.

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