NBA 2016: How Stephen Curry Mirrors NBA Legends of Yesteryears
Stephen Curry's presence is reminiscent of former greats who have also sizzled the hard court with their highlight reel performances.
Reigning Most Valuable Player awardee and Golden State Warriors stalwart Stephen Curry has been putting on stellar performances this season alone.
He may have been bogged down by injuries, but this did not stop him from wowing basketball audiences around the world. In Game Four of their semi-finals series versus the Portland Trailblazers, Curry dropped a whopping 17 points in overtime period alone, giving his team a 3-1 series lead with a 132-125 victory.
In this day and age, Curry's presence is reminiscent of former greats who have also sizzled the hard court with their highlight reel performances. In many ways, he has embodied the characteristics of these legends, whether it is with his three-point shooting accuracy, his scoring barrages, or his clutch performances.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Kobe Bryant
Back in his hey day, the recently-retired Kobe Bryant is known as a scoring machine for his first and only team, the Los Angeles Lakers. While he may have earned some haters who see him as a ball hog, it can be guaranteed that once the ball touches his hands, "the Black Mamba" can easily pick up some points.
According to ESPN, on Jan. 22, 2006, Bryant ended his regular season game against the Toronto Raptors with a scorching 81 points, and led his team to a 122-104 victory. In the said game, he shot 60.3 percent from the field on 46 field-goal attempts. In the second half alone, he dropped 55 points.
Similarly, Curry set his career-high scoring barrage of his own last Feb. 27, 2013, where he scored 54 points. While it may still be a far cry from Bryant's performance, Curry proved to be a scoring machine himself, and even set some NBA records in the process, as per Bleacher Report.
The 28-year old basketball player shot 83.9 percent from the field, while setting a franchise record, sinking 11 three-pointers in a game. His three-point percentage for the night was 86.9 percent.
Given Curry's unparalleled talent these days, it won't be long before he equals and even surpasses Bryant's 81-point performance.
Reggie Miller
During his time with the Indiana Pacers, Reggie Miller's three-point accuracy was one that cherished by his team, and feared by his opponents. So much so that one of his most notable performances was his scoring barrage for a mere nine seconds, giving his team a much-needed boost to eventual victory.
In Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Playoffs on May 7 of that year, the Pacers were down by six against the New York Knicks with 20 seconds left in the game, according to NBA. It was when Miller decided to take things into his own hands and started an eight-point scoring surge: shooting two consecutive three-pointers, then getting fouled and sinking two the free-throws. Indiana went on to win the game, 107-15.
That Reggie Miller performance seemed to have come back to life in the form of Curry's own scoring barrage in Game four of their semi-final series against the Blazers wherein he dropped 17 points in the overtime period.
Michael Jordan
It is quite obvious to make a comparison between Curry and the man many considers to be the greatest player to have ever played the game, Michael Jordan.
Both men have been proven leaders of their respective teams, as the rest of the names on the roster play their respective roles effectively to achieve victory. And like Jordan, who has had his share of highlight reel games, Curry has also wowed the audiences by his superior performances that make him superior than any other player on the court.
During his time, Jordan had Scottie Pippen to back him up. Today, Curry has fellow guard Klay Thompson by his side, and the duo was even given the nickname the "Splash Brothers," per Cheat Sheet.
"His Airness" retired in 2003 for the third time after a 19-year career, setting a number of records along the way including five MVP trophies. Today, Curry has already amassed a number of them, with two MVP plums in his mere sixth playing year, showing he can still achieve further greatness in the years to come.
