Chef Curry Is Cooking, But LeBron Still Eats

 I get it. Steph Curry is amazing.

He is probably the best shooter (not scorer, Durant still holds that title) we have ever seen since Reggie Miller. Steph can do no wrong in anyone’s eyes, he is a good-hearted man, has a loving wife and awesome kids. I get it. But it is still premature to crown him as the best player in the league. In my 24 years of life, I’ve seen the mantle of “best in the NBA” be passed down from great to great—from Jordan to Kobe to LeBron. I can’t honestly sit here and validate Steph Curry’s claim to that mantel off of a season and a half of great work.

As creatures of habit, we tend to get easily caught up in the moment and crown individuals early, giving them a short leash on pass or fail. Trust me, being a Redskins fan, I’ve seen the bad side of this rodeo before. The 2012 NFL season was a magical one for Robert Griffin III. He won seven straight games to take the division and get into the playoffs, all the while carrying a subpar team and a glory-starved city. After that crazy run in 2012, analysts called RG3 “a man teams will have to fear for the next 10-15 years.” These analysts rarely factor the immense pressure they put on these players to be great. In RG3’s case, he never lived up to the hype of the 2012 season. Eventually he lost his starting position and became a sideline eyesore for an entire season. Steph Curry seems like he will be a great one. But has he already passed LeBron “King” James as the NBA’s best? In my unpopular opinion, it’s simply too soon to say.

I know Curry “stans” would love to disagree, but let’s back track. Steph has been an amazing player since being drafted back in 2009, and last season was particularly memorable. Steph went out his mind from deep, earning the MVP of the season as well as a NBA title (over King James no less). The stats don’t lie. So, technically, those in Steph’s corner have a legitimate case. But if we’re being technical, let’s talk about how the Warriors ran through a weak, injury-laden West in the playoffs. Let’s talk about how the Warriors basically played five-on-one against LeBron in the Finals. They won everything fair and square and should be treated like champions. But perhaps Steph Curry’s greatness is exaggerated as a byproduct of the social media era. In today’s Twitter, Vine, and Snapchat world, everything is magnified to an unbelievable extent. The majority of fans nowadays have never seen a shooter this deadly. Let’s not get caught up in the shiny deep threes and top ten highlights. We should be patient and see Steph do it again before we start hailing him the best. Lots of players have been one hit wonders before (Michael Redd anyone?) Ridiculously, I’ve already heard a few Greatest of All Time mentions in some circles. Steph can still be amazing even if we acknowledge that LeBron is still holds the crown.

To put it another way, Chef Steph will still be serving curry until the King is ready to leave the table.

By: Chibuike Anyatonwu

Twitter: @gatemanchiby