Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s “First Take” thinks that Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry is more likely to win his next title before Kevin Durant or Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James win another one.
“Ima roll with the Warriors on this question,” said Smith. “The Warriors, I said it. I didn’t stutter, and Ima tell you why. ‘Cause I don’t think the Lakers can shoot well enough, and ultimately that’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Smith noted that Durant — who won two titles while playing alongside Curry on the Warriors — has seen limited playoff success since he left the team in free agency in 2019 to join the Brooklyn Nets.
“I think Phoenix is compromised somewhat defensively,” he said. “I can’t trust them defensively, and I think that’s ultimately what it comes down to. K.D., [Devin] Booker and Bradley Beal, ‘Lethal Weapon 3’ no doubt about it, but they’ve got something to prove. I gotta to see it.
“I’ve got news for you: We all know how I feel about KD, one of the greatest scorers in the history of this game, a two-time champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He ain’t been out of the semifinals since he left Golden State. That’s just a fact.”
Curry won his most recent title back in 2022. In the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Warriors eliminated the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks in order to secure a spot in the NBA Finals.
“Now we get to the Golden State Warriors. Steph Curry is still the greatest shooter God ever created. We saw this Saturday night in that 3-point shooting contest. It’s just what he does. It’s just what he does. We’ve got that going on.
“Jonathan Kuminga has elevated his level of play, his 3-point shooting, his field-goal percentage shooting. He gets it now. And his athleticism is off the charts. Draymond Green has upped the ante. Defensively they’ve really stepped up. Klay Thompson comes off the bench for the first time in years, drops 35.
Golden State then eliminated the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals. The Celtics had a 2-1 lead in the series at one point, but the Warriors then went on to win the final three games of the championship series.
The 35-year-old arguably saved his best performance of the NBA Finals for when his team needed it the most. Curry finished with 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while shooting 14-of-26 from the field and 7-of-14 from 3-point range in Game 4, and the Warriors went on to win by 10 points to even up the series at two games apiece.
James has also won a title this decade. He led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title, the 17th championship in the history of the iconic franchise.
Los Angeles had to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat on its path to a title.
The Lakers are currently tied with the Celtics for the most championships of any NBA team.
James is seeking to win the Lakers their 18th title in franchise history this season, and while Los Angeles’ record of 30-26 doesn’t exactly jump off the page, the team is seemingly trending in a positive direction. The Lakers are winners of seven of their last 10 games and won their last three contests before the All-Star break rolled around.
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