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Paul Pierce: Steph Curry Influenced NBA More Than LeBron James, Michael Jordan


Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Hall of Fame forward Paul Pierce explained why he believes that Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry influenced the NBA more than LeBron James or Michael Jordan during a Thursday appearance on Undisputed.

"[Steph Curry's] influence on the game has been greater than [LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant]… I watched the Celtics game last night...The first 10 shots were three-pointers. Everybody think they can be Steph," Pierce said.

While Pierce has feuded with James in the past, dating back to their days as rivals on the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, Curry's influence on the modern basketball landscape has been well-documented.

During Tuesday's episode of the Mind the Game Pod, James himself listed the Warriors star along with Hall of Fame point guard Allen Iverson as two of the most influential players in NBA history.

"Steph and Allen Iverson are the two biggest influential guys in our game since I've been watching and covering it," James said.

"Those two are the two most influential when you play the game, how they changed the game, and the [impact on] kids, those are two guys that you just wanted to watch every single night," James added (h/t Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).

In the year before Curry's first MVP season, NBA teams averaged 21.5 three-point attempts per game (via Basketball Reference). In the 2023-24 season, teams are currently averaging 35.0 long-range attempts every night.

While James and Jordan are arguably the two greatest players in NBA history, the impact of Curry on the current generation of players and teams cannot be understated.

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