Allen Iverson is on a media tour to promote his memoir ‘Misunderstood’. During which he also revealed being 6 months sober, and called it one of his best decisions. The 76ers legend would then touch upon a subject that is hotly debated among the fans. Not the ‘GOAT Debate’, but ranking his top 5 players ever to play in the NBA. And it was Stephen Curry’s name that a former champion recently questioned on his podcast.
“But I would expect I expected more not more from him, but I expected him to pay more homage to the older guys because he’s an older guy himself.” Danny Green, on his podcast, made it clear why he dislikes the top 5 rankings by AI. “Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Shaquille O’Neal,” Iverson told CBS News when asked to give his opinion on the best NBA players in history. Replying to Iverson, Green added, “Steph for me is in the top 10, but I don’t know if I could put him in the top five. Like him and Magic is a conversation.”
The former teammates of LeBron James opined that Michael Jordan, Kobe, and Bron are part of the top 3 players, no matter how one would individually rank them. But the next two picks of Allen Iverson of Shaquille O’Neal, and Stephen Curry, Green was not aligned with. Especially the latter one. Being an undersized guard and yet dominating the big names is something only a few could do. That’s why AI had no problem with Curry being in his top 5, but Green did.
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“Steph to me is a very good player, and I’m not trying to pick on Steph, but because I think he’s one of the greatest to ever do what he’s done, and he’s definitely a top 10 because of that. If he wasn’t the greatest to do it, he wouldn’t be in the top 10 if he wasn’t. Because if you look at everybody else that’s normally in the top 10, they were juggernauts, not on just offense, but both sides of the ball or they they dominate the game in multitude of ways.”
Danny Green, on his Inside the Green Room podcast, pointed out that he was never doubting the abilities that Curry brings to the hardwood. Shooting from any distance, being an offensive general, making plays for teammates, and being a master of floor spacing are all those qualities that push the Warriors‘ superstar to the top 10 spot. But Green would have picked the older guys who could dominate the game on both ends of the floor.
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“Again, this is his (Allen Iverson) opinion, so I don’t think this is a terrible one, but I just thought he would pay more homage to the older guys. And I thought for sure Magic would might be in there. You got Kareem, Bill Russell, Wilt, Larry Bird, there’s a, you know, even, you know, Tim Duncan, like guys that I think of that are my top 10.”
Other stars who celebrate Stephen Curry
Creating dynasties, changing the culture with three-point shooting, and overcoming constant ankle injuries push Stephen Curry‘s stock to be in the top 10 in the league. In fact, long-time rival and now an Olympics teammate, LeBron James previously shared high praise about the Warriors superstar’s impact. “Steph and Allen Iverson are the two biggest influential guys in our game since I’ve been watching and covering…They were so relatable…Kids felt like they could be them.”
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In fact, there is also a debate where people often discredit or downplay the work of the current stars in the league. Some of the former stars have felt that Curry’s success is tied to the era he’s playing in, as the court is way more spaced out and the game is less physical than it was in the ’90s. However, despite this what-if scenario, one of the greatest to play in that period, Magic Johnson, isn’t the one to doubt the Baby-Faced Assassin.
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“He’s one of the greatest of all time… He’s definitely on my dream team as the greatest that’s ever played this game.” So, no doubt, there will be opinions on personal preference while ranking the top 5 or 10 players in the league. But Allen Iverson isn’t going to change his ways any time soon. “You’re in my top 5 all day long.” After all, he previously made a heartfelt stance about Curry.