Competing in the NBA is about as intense as things can get for a basketball player. The insane physical and mental tolls are things laymen like us can only imagine. However, it seems not even their biggest stars can avoid the fate that this incredible burden brings. Yes, not even LeBron James or Stephen Curry.
If you’ve caught any of the Dubs’ games as of late, you may have noticed Steph Curry sporting a splint on his thumb. The 4x champ has been playing through a right thumb injury for most of the season. Even so, he simply rubs some dirt in it and trudges like the Warrior (pun intended) that he is. But recently, on the Jim Rome Show, Curry revealed what it’s been like for him paying the price of his success with his health over the years and why he plans to continue.
“So to think, like, a decade has gone on since we first understood what that championship journey was really like. And to be doing it at the stage of your career, it’s special. And it’s something you don’t take for granted…And so to wave off Father Time as long as we can and know that there’s still a lot left in the tank, it’s important to keep going out there, showing what we can do,” said Steph.
And the Dubs legend isn’t the only one who feels this way.
Mar 28, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) after the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
His longtime rival and Team USA teammate, LeBron James, echoed Curry’s statement earlier. He revealed that the playoffs are the most exciting part of the NBA calendar for him. “Listen, at this point in my career, the regular season is fun and cool, but I only care about the playoffs…It’s definitely a drug for sure,” he told Steve Nash on his podcast.
But earlier during a Lakers press conference, he also revealed the insane toll it exacts on players like him. ” I mean, everything. Playoffs demand everything from you, mentally. I mean, obviously, the physical toll that it’s gonna take because the games ramp up, the intensity, reps, ramps up, the physicality ramps up, the referees in the league allow us to play more physical in the postseason.”
And like Curry, LeBron has also paid the price with his health. After all, you can’t be a 40-year-old in the NBA without having the scars to show for it! This season alone, James has played through an on-and-off injury to his left foot and ankle. And just when he thought his injury woes were history, he pulled his groin against the Celtics and spent two weeks on the shelf.
Such is the price of being elite in the NBA. Nonetheless, the goal remains the same for both of them. But who’s got more to gain from adding another ring to their tally? Steph or LeBron? Let’s find out.
Who will have a better legacy with another ring, Stephen Curry or LeBron James?
First things first, even if Bron and Steph retire before their next games, they’ll still be first-ballot HOFers, for sure. Their bodies of work speak for themselves with multiple rings, league and Finals MVP awards, scoring titles, and everything in between.
That said, let’s talk about ‘Chef Curry’ first. He’s got two scoring titles, 4 chips, and he’s the first unanimous league MVP in NBA history. And he’s cemented his place as the best shooter the NBA has ever seen. So what’s he got left to prove? Well, nothing really. Now, the only thing he can really battle for is the argument about who’s the greatest point guard ever. And his competition is one Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
While Steph and Magic had completely different games, they played in the same position. And one thing that Magic can always hold over Steph is the elusive 5th ring that he has. So, another ring for Curry and the NBA fanbase might just feel comfortable naming him as the greatest PG ever.
CLEVELAND, OH – FEBRUARY 20: NBA Legends, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry talk during 71st NBA All-Star Game as part of 2022 NBA All Star Weekend on February 20, 2022 at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)
Similar to Steph, LeBron also has nothing left to prove. He’s arguably the greatest of all time. And that’s the only thing he’s fighting for at this point in his career. Who’s his competition? Michael Jeffrey Jordan. And it’s going to be insanely difficult for the ‘Akron Hammer’ to come out on top here.
You see, Jordan has six rings while LeBron has four. So, another ring might not mean LeBron gets one over Jordan in GOAT conversations. Moreover, Jordan is the only player to win both the DPOY and a scoring title in the same season. Meanwhile, LeBron has never been the DPOY. It’s arguable that he should’ve won it over Marc Gasol in 2012/13. All in all, a 5th ring will help the Akron native’s case in determining who’s the greatest of all time. However, it won’t make that big a difference.
Therefore, we’d argue Stephen Curry has more to gain from becoming a 5x NBA champion. But given how much both of them have accomplished and sacrificed over the years, their legacies are immortalized even if they enter the worst slumps of their lives.
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