NBA Player of the Decade: LeBron James vs Stephen Curry

And it boils down two names: LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

These two names get the sporting world debating on who is the rightful NBA Player of the Decade. There are Team James and Team Curry.

The NBA Case for LeBron

LeBron is the NBA Player of the Decade. Christopher Pierznik argued there is no debate here.

In fact, James can easily snatch the GOAT (greatest of all time) recognition from Michael Jordan. Thanks to his record 27-7-7 that no other NBA players of today can match.

He’s got something that Curry does not have: control of the game. It’s one of the reasons why he continually appears in the Finals game for eight straight years.

Even at his age (35 years), he still plays the hardest. Some experts also said that we see James at his peak, which means he’ll see more of him on the court.

James in stats

• 10-year averages: 26.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.7 steals
• Has 52.8% field goals (FG) and 35.6% 3-pt FG
• Appeared in 10 All-Star teams, 4 All-Defensive teams and 10 All-NBA games
• Awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2011-12 and 2012-13
• Awarded with 3 NBA FInals MVP
• Has three championships

The NBA Case for Stephen

For Shauntel Lowe, Curry is more deserving of the NBA Decade of the Player title because he changed the NBA.

Curry takes and makes shots that altered both the offence and defence of other NBA teams. Nobody does a three-pointer like Stephen! Now, everyone has an opinion on what is a good shot and how to make that excellent shot.

His name is also listed in NBA history for staggering feats. He won an MVO unanimously and scored the highest with 50-40-90.

Curry in stats

• 10-year averages: 23.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists
• Has 47.2% FG and 41.8% 3-pt FG
• Appeared in 6 All-Star teams and 6 All-NBA games
• Awarded MVP in 2014-15 and 2015-16
• Has three championships

** The stats are taken from Business Insider, which surprisingly ranked Curry as #3 behind his former teammate, Kevin Durant, and ultimately, James as #1.

It goes to show how divided this argument can get. 

James may be the best NBA player in the last ten years statistics-wise, but Curry is the defining player. James may be the best, but Curry is arguably the most impactful. Of the two, Curry was the one who changed the game the most.

Control of the game is the most important, but Curry does not possess that, unlike James, who has a more reliable leadership than Curry. If, at all, Curry is the greatest shooter ever.

Curry was also included in one of the most dynamic teams in NBA history. James, on the other hand, has an influential athleticism—someone who provides a vision for the entire team. That makes James not just a scorer, but a team leader.

While each has strong points that make them deserving of the title, the ball’s on your court now.

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Who do you think is the more deserving of the NBA Player of the Decade title? Why? Please share with us what you’re thinking.