The King or The Chef - By Karina Silva

There’s been a debate speculating on who's better between LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Since Stephen Curry recently won his 4th ring in 2022 after the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics, people have started comparing Curry to being better than LeBron. The debate starts with their different playstyles from different positions, their impact on the game, and leadership from both sides to lead their teams to be championship contenders.  So, let's look at some comparisons. Now, in the NBA, both of their names have been the most popular in the past decade because of the battles during the NBA finals and playoffs. Both are from Akron, Ohio.  Stephen Curry, The Chef, has changed the game with his extraordinary shooting abilities from long-range and high-percentage shooting as a point guard with powerful ball handling and has redefined the role of a point guard position because the past in the NBA, people were used to a point guard being able to create assists and played for their teammates which Curry can also do on top of his other abilities. His deep 3-point shooting and ability to shoot from anywhere lights out made it hard for the defense to guard him and changed how teams approached him in the NBA.

Photo: NBA.com

On the other hand, LeBron James, The King was considered a force of nature on the court, being able to play any position at 6’9 and 250 pounds. He has the ability that any coach would want on a team with his size, strength, and skill that has never been shown in NBA history and his drive to the basket and acceleration to put points up for his team and dedication for his team and to create insane plays for his teammates with his strong basketball IQ. teammates and hall of fame players have given him his name to enter the debate with Micheal Jordan as one of the greatest players of all time in NBA history. LeBron James has always been hungry to win and has dominated the NBA for almost 2 decades. Being able to have a big impact on every team he has played for, he has transformed struggling teams into playoff contenders and champions. In 2016, he was known for his rivalry with Stephen Curry because LeBron came up and won by being down 3-1 to make the Cavaliers the first NBA team to come up from a 3-1 lead. LeBron has 4 NBA rings and 4 MVPS. Undoubtedly, he has proven himself on the grandest stage, like the NBA finals. 

Photo: NBA.com

Stephen Curry possesses a different strength than LeBron but has found his way to the same equal impact. His shooting has not only led the Warriors to championships but also helped future players see shooting more over physicality, and his shooting has changed how kids nowadays play basketball. The debate does center around leadership. Lebron can coach his teammates on plays and take charge during crucial moments in the game to help them be better and give them confidence in their craft. His leadership is made out of his basketball IQ and court vision to see his teammates with no-look passes and make the right play. Curry leads with his work ethic and selflessness in creating assists for his teammates and leading his team to a win. LeBron has been playing 21 seasons now, while Curry has 15. They both have the same amount of championships, but LeBron leads in season MVPs and final MVPs; LeBron also leads in playoffs played and all NBA first-team selections, all NBA teams, and all defensive teams, assists leader, rookie of the year, and now recently in season tournament MVP and championship and all-star games, while curry leads in scoring leaders. For regular statistics, LeBron leads in points per game with 27.2 and Curry with 24.7; he leads in rebounds, assists, and blocks, and Lebron leads in pretty much every other stat besides steals per game, but in total stats, Lebron leads. However, Curry did have a better season in 2021, averaging 32.0 points per game. People can argue that LeBron has played more seasons, so that's why he's leading in almost everything and comparing Curry’s size to LeBron's.

Photo: Lubbockonline.com

In conclusion, in the comparison, LeBron leads in most of the stats, but playstyles and positions make it difficult to determine this. I got to talk to two friends who stated that LeBron was better due to his longevity and how he leads in statistics. People should understand they both made their legacies in the NBA, appreciate their greatness, and witness the rivalry because it's always a must-watch.