You know Stephen Curry doesn’t lack for confidence based on the way he shoots the rock and some of the shots the All-Star guard even dares to launch. But better offensively than LeBron James?
On the strength of his 24 points, nine assists, and 42 percent three-point shooting 2013-14 season, Curry is willing to take it there, telling reporters this week he believes he’s a superior offensive player to the four-time league MVP and back-to-back NBA champ.
Whatever you make of his boast, the bottom-line is Curry will soon have an international stage on which to prove his worth. With Kevin Durant, Paul George, Blake Griffin and Kawhi Leonard all having pulled out of competing at the upcoming World Cup Games for one reason reason or another, all the heavy lifting figures to fall on the likes of Curry and fellow backcourt mates Derrick Rose, James Harden and Kyrie Irving if Team USA will prove capable to raising gold in Spain this summer.
The numbers, or at least some of them, support Curry’s bold boast. For one, he holds a career-high shooting percentage of 44 percent from three-point range compared to James’ 34 percent. This past season, he bagged a league-leading 268 treys, some 142 more than James relatively meager total of 116.
Both players ranked among the Top 10 in player efficiency last season, while Curry topped James in assists average, 8.5 to 6.3. Curry’s best overall season came this past season when he also averaged four rebounds and shot better than 47 percent from the field, while James’ came in 2007-08 with the Cavs when he averaged 30 points, seven assists and eight rebounds.
“He obviously demands a lot of attention on the floor,” said Curry. “But I like to say I can distribute, get my teammates involved and be a playmaker as well.”
But better than The King?
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