JUST IN: LeBron James or Stephen Curry? Michael Jordan Reveals who he’d rather face in a 1-on-1

JUST IN: LeBron James or Stephen Curry? Michael Jordan Reveals who he’d rather face in a 1-on-1

Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, often considered one of the most dominant athletes in history across all sports. However, debates surrounding his standing have included names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry in recent years.

LeBron claimed his fourth NBA title in 2020, while Curry added his fourth championship ring in 2022. Long before those milestones, in a 2019 interview with TODAY, Jordan was asked who he’d prefer to face in a prime one-on-one matchup. His answer left no room for doubt.

“Well, I’d go against Stephen Curry because I’m a little bit bigger than him, so I could back him in. But LeBron’s a little bit too big,” Jordan explained. “If I was in my prime, could I beat LeBron in a one-on-one game? No question. And he’s going to say no question. [Curry] is a great player—not a Hall of Famer yet, though. He’s not”.

Since then, Curry has solidified his legacy by leading the Golden State Warriors to another championship in 2022, defeating the Boston Celtics in six games. That season, Curry earned his first NBA Finals MVP award, further cementing his place among the game’s all-time greats.

Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors raises the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after defeating the Boston Celtics.
Jordan walks back his “Not a Hall of Famer” comment about Curry
Two years after his remarks about Curry, the Warriors star got a chance to address Jordan directly during a conversation at the Ryder Cup. Curry seized the moment to bring up the Hall of Fame comment.

During an interview with The Athletic NBA Show that same year, Curry recounted the exchange. Journalist Marcus Thompson asked Curry, “Did you ask him if you are a Hall of Famer now?” Curry revealed, “The first question, I just blurted it out, and he said, ‘First-ballot Hall of Fame, no problem.’ That’s verbatim what he said.”

Jordan believes Curry falls short of the “greatest point guard” title
Despite Jordan’s acknowledgment of Curry’s Hall of Fame credentials, he maintains that Curry isn’t the greatest point guard of all time. That distinction, according to Jordan, belongs to Magic Johnson.

In 2023, after Curry described himself as the greatest point guard in NBA history on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith shared Jordan’s response on the matter.

“Although greatest of anything is always a debate, I beg to differ on greatest point guard of all time… Magic Johnson is easily the best point guard of all time. Steph Curry is very close, but not in front of Magic,” Jordan stated.

Jordan clarified that while Curry is “by far the best shooter of all time,” there’s a difference between being an elite shooter and being the greatest point guard. “Magic Johnson ‘invented’ the triple-double, which is more notable in terms of a point guard’s impact on the game,” Jordan explained.

“Steph has a career three-point shooting percentage of 43%, and yes, his movement creates opportunities for his teammates,” he added. “But Magic’s ability to control the game and lead is unmatched. Plus, Magic has five NBA championships”.

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