No. 1: Stephen Curry
Was there every any doubt as to who would land No. 1 on this list? It works out for this exercise that Shaquille O’Neal or Hakeem Olajuwon never stopped by the Warriors at the end of their careers, or we may have more of a discussion on our hands. As it is, Stephen Curry is clearly the best player to ever suit up for the Warriors.
A skinny shooter with weak ankles, Curry was not supposed to be the next all-time great to enter the league. He fell to seventh in the 2009 NBA Draft, and what’s more four on-ball guards were taken ahead of him. That only provided fuel to the fire, however, as Curry was an instant shot-maker from the jump. Once he got his ankles right, he blossomed into the greatest shooter of all time.
Curry made his first All-Star team in 2013-14, his fourth season, and never looked back, making it in every healthy season since, nine times in all. That includes nine seasons when he was also an All-NBA selection, and two MVP seasons, including the first unanimous MVP selection. He has led the league in scoring twice, steals once, and after leading the league in 3-pointers a whopping seven times, he is the career leader in 3-pointers made.
Even more so than his awards, his statistical accomplishments or his impact on the game (which is substantial), Curry’s ability to win at the highest levels vaults him into the pantheon of all-time greats. He has won four titles, been to the NBA Finals two other times, and his ability to both lead by example and take a back seat to allow others to shine is both special among superstars and the key to the Warriors’ continual success.
Stephen Curry broke defenses en route to four titles and continues to stretch defenses past their breaking point even at 35 years old. He is not only the greatest Warrior to play in the NBA, he is among the very best stars of all time.