Michael Jordan, for many people, is the greatest player to ever play in the NBA. Many fell in love with the sport of basketball because of Jordan and his highly enjoyable style of playing the game. Few can rival Jordan’s impact and influence on the NBA, and basketball as a whole. However, Stephen Curry might just take the cake from MJ in this aspect.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who’s good friends with Jordan and is known for being an ardent MJ fan, admitted that Stephen Curry’s impact on the modern NBA exceeds MJ’s influence. During a conversation on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. labeled Curry as the “most influential NBA player today.” He said, “biggest influence on NBA today is Stephen Curry. There’s no doubt about it. It’s one thing when you can point to little kids in the streets and what they’re trying to do in terms of shooting threes. You’ve never seen people jack up threes before the way they’re jacking up now… We ain’t never seen people as reliant on long-range bombs the way they’re now because of Steph.”

Stephen A. Smith’s remarks have caught many people off-guard. However, few would argue with his assessment. While Micahel Jordan’s impact and influence on basketball, pop culture, and fashion is undeniable, when it comes to impact on the modern NBA, Stephen Curry reigns supreme. The redefined three-point shooting, his 6’3 stature, innovative point-guard movements, all, and more have culminated to form the ‘Curry effect,’ somewhat backing Smith’s claims.

The Baby-faced assassin who revolutionized basketball

Stephen Curry entered the league without much fanfare when the Golden State Warriors drafted him with the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. His first few seasons were marred with recurring ankle injuries. Many felt that the instances would hamper his burgeoning NBA career. Despite these challenges, however, Curry showed flashes of his remarkable talent and potential.

The Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry paid off in the 2012-13 season, as he broke out and became one of the most promising young players in the league. During that season, Curry averaged 22.9 points, 6.9 assists, and 4 rebounds in 78 games. Since then, Steph never looked back and within two seasons, Steph led the Warriors to their first NBA title in 50 years in 2015.

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The Warriors won their first title in 50 years by playing an exciting brand of basketball, which emphasized ball movement and shooting from beyond the arc. Phoenix Suns icon Charles Barkley famously stated that “jump shooting teams” can’t win the championship. Not only did the Warriors prove Barkley wrong, but also revolutionized the league in the process.

To illustrate the extent of the shift, in the 2005-06 season, teams averaged just 16 3-point attempts per game. However, this figure has surged to an average of 35.1 3-point attempts per game in recent years. What are your thoughts on the Stephen Curry-led revolution? Let us know in the comments below!

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