Ex-champ foresees ‘LeBron James era’ being shadowed by Stephen Curry 

NBA legend Paul Pierce recently made a bold claim regarding stars, Stephen Curry and LeBron James on his podcast.

Ex-champ foresees ‘LeBron James era’ being shadowed by Stephen Curry 

LeBron James and Stephen Curry

The spotlights are on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers when the 2025 playoffs begin tonight. The renowned superstar starts his pursuit of a 5th NBA title. However, that is also something the Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is looking to achieve going into this year’s NBA playoffs. Notably, former NBA player Paul Pierce had a bold take on Curry lately.

The GOAT controversy was rekindled by the Warriors’ success as they developed further. Pierce, a legend in the NBA, fueled the flames. Regarding Curry’s role in the discussion with LeBron James, he made a contentious remark. Pierce claimed that Curry would be ‘greater than LeBron James’ if he secures to win the 5th NBA title.

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If Steph Curry wins the championship or one more championship—let’s say this year—and wins Finals MVP, we are gonna have some very, very, very, very uncomfortable conversations. You know why? That’s going to mean in the LeBron era, he would’ve won his fifth title with pretty much three different squads. The pre-[Kevin Durant], the KD and the after KD. Three of those championships he would’ve won without a top 75 player. In my eyes, he would’ve won this era with LeBron.

Paul Pierce said

LeBron James and Stephen Curry are deadlocked with four titles apiece. Thus, the crucial question still stands: which player is more in need of their fifth championship? By the looks of it, the Lakers’ star has a better chance of winning the 5th title this season. He possesses a much greater squad compared to his rival, Curry.

However, Stephen Curry would be elevated into a whole different conversation if he were to win a fifth ring. Another ring would solidify Shaquille O’Neal’s plea for Curry to be included in the GOAT discussion. Curry receives a lot of recognition for his four NBA championships with the same team. That is important.

The Golden State Warriors didn’t always have the best roster or the best team. Nevertheless, they managed to triumph. The fact that Curry was the focal point of the squad is one important factor. One can only hope that we will witness the two legends battle it out once more as they vie for another title.

Austin Rivers has high praise for Stephen Curry going into the NBA Playoffs

Former NBA player Austin Rivers recently sat down on his podcast show to discuss the upcoming NBA playoffs. Rivers, who is somewhat related to Curry (Curry’s brother, Seth, is married to Austin’s sister, Callie Rivers), had immense praise for Curry on his podcast. Some would call his take biased, but his words did make sense.

As long as Steph’s out there, there’s nothing else. He is the greatest show in basketball and it’s not close. He always has been. So take that for whatever it’s worth.

Austin Rivers said
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Keep in mind that this is solely based on entertainment value. The NBA is a sports entertainment organization, regardless of what the most ardent fans may think. Therefore, Stephen Curry is deserving of being up there on face value. One would surely put Curry alongside LeBron James and Michael Jordan if they were given a choice.

LeBron James’ popularity in the NBA is still going strong in 2025

LeBron James, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers, is 40 years old and still a threat on the court. At the end of the season, the former league MVP averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game. Not only that, in the year 2025, James’ popularity remains unmatched in the league.

As per the Lakers, James ranked No. 3 on the NBA’s Most Popular Jersey and Team Merchandise lists for the 2024-25 regular season. This showcases the immense respect and admiration James has for the league. In addition, James made a compelling remark regarding his future in the NBA.

After the NBA regular season ended this week, he informed reporters that he could continue to play until the end of the decade. However, he did state that he ‘won’t do that.’ Given that, only time will tell how far James takes his NBA career with the Lakers.