There is no doubt that the Golden State Warriors have a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Stephen Curry.
There is no shortage of bad takes floating around the NBA world. Most recently, Michael Jordan claimed that despite everything the Golden State Warriors have accomplished, Stephen Curry is not yet a Hall of Famer.
This is an absurd claim and flat out wrong. Though Jordan has earned the right to speak his mind freely after perhaps the greatest career in league history, he has proven time and time again to be awful at evaluating basketball talent.
Take his Charlotte Hornets for example. The franchise spent years wasting Kemba Walker‘s talent as frequent misses in the NBA Draft caused the organization to blunder time and time again. It’s clear that Jordan’s star power on the court is not helping him analyze today’s game.
Entering his 11th NBA season, Curry has done more than enough to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame. In fact, there shouldn’t even be a question as to whether or not he will earn a first-ballot entry into the HOF or not.
Being a first-ballot Hall of Famer simply means that you are inducted into the HOF on your first year of eligibility. Iconic names such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan belong in this list.
However, the NBA Hall of Fame is far from being the exclusive club that the NFL or MLB Hall is. For example, Jason Kidd was inducted in his first-ballot last year. Kidd is certainly a legend, but not exactly the type of talent you would expect to be in the same company as Jordan or Bird.
This makes Jordan’s claim that Curry isn’t a HOF yet even more ridiculous. Curry is already better than Kidd ever was, meaning he rightfully deserves an induction.
The last five seasons have been nothing short of historic from Curry. He began his run with an MVP and title in the 2014-15 season and followed this up with one of the greatest regular seasons of all-time. During his unanimous MVP season, Curry became the first 30 points per game scorer to shoot 50/40/90 from the field.
Since his first MVP campaign, Curry has averaged 26.5 points on 48.5 percent shooting. He has reached six All-Star games and six All-NBA teams while leading the league in scoring once.
Curry has led the Warriors to five consecutive NBA Finals and played a pivotal role in bringing three championships to the Bay Area. This alone is worthy of a place in the Hall of Fame, but combine it with his overall impact on the game and we have an all-time great on our hands.
No player this decade has had more of a profound effect on the game of basketball. Curry’s ability to shoot at a high-rate while maintaining efficiency was game-changing. His success spurred numerous copy cats as the NBA transitioned into a space-and-pace era that is still going on today.
Everyone relax. We know Steph Curry is a future Hall of Famer...Michael Jordan couldn’t say it because he would get fined by the league.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 22, 2019
Of course, Magic Johnson stepped up in defense of Jordan. Johnson alluded to the NBA’s tampering rules that strictly monitor how opposing front offices speak on current players. Johnson was previously fined for praising Giannis Antetkounmpo so it’s possible that Jordan was simply attempting to avoid a fine by speaking on Curry.
Curry’s popularity and influence speak for themselves. He has grown larger than life as his on-court skills carry him to a place few players have ever reached. His dominance is far from over and he will undoubtedly finish his career in the Hall of Fame.