Hours After Massive Stephen Curry Praise, Lakers? 2010 Championship Hero Lauded For Being the Only Player To “Physically Intimidate” LeBron James

Many players have tried to contain Stephen Curry‘s fireworks; many players are still trying. In his hall-of-fame-worthy career, Curry has faced hundreds of opponents. Be it near the perimeter or inside the paint. Curry’s regular off-ball movement and his ability to shoot the ball from deep constantly hounded defenders. His ball handling, high IQ passing, and overall craftiness/creativity make him extremely hard to defend. Add that to the elite offensive engine of the Golden State Warriors, and its damn near impossible to beat.

Despite defenders struggling to remain in front of Curry, he has recently spoken about the select few who can do it. During an interview with the TODAY Show, Steph revealed his list of the toughest NBA defenders, naming Jrue Holiday, Tony Allen, and Ron Artest.

Ron Artest could even intimidate LeBron James

In a recent interview on NBA Today by ESPN, Brian Windhorst claimed that Ron Artest is probably only one or one of a select few who could physically intimidate LeBron James on-court. He also said that rookie LeBron James visibly struggled against Artest the most.?“The only time I saw LeBron as a rookie get sort of intimidated is when Ron Artest went up against him,”?Brian explained.

Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011. In 2020, he changed it again to Metta Sandiford-Artest. Apart from being a rough and tough defender, he has been one of Kobe Bryant’s close teammates. Notorious for his on-court antics, Ron Artest won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004. Furthermore, he was part of the 2010 championship Lakers and has been inducted into four All-Defensive teams.

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Stephen Curry explains his picks

After giving out his list, Curry explained why the players made a significant defensive impact on the court and earned their spots. He said,?“I didn’t get to play too many games against [Artest], but he had the strongest hands you’ve ever seen in your life. You put the ball around him… he’d just smack it right out of your hands.”?Metta retired in 2017 and is considered one of the best defenders by many players. Constituting an interesting ‘game-recognizes-game’ moment, Metta recognized Curry’s talent in 2013 before his ticket to fame.?

Stephen Curry won his first MVP award in the 2014-15 season.?

During their prime, both Allen and Artest earned reputations as top defenders. Tony Allen received six nominations to the NBA All-Defensive Team, with three of those as a first-team member. Kobe Bryant even gifted Tony Allen a pair of his shoes. He personalized it with a message scribbled on the toe that said,?“To Tony, the best defender I ever faced.“

Allen and Artest have since retired from the NBA, essentially meaning Curry will never face them again. The only active player on his list is Jrue Holiday, a 14-year veteran. His defensive prowess is spoken of throughout the league as his heroics in the finals sealed the Bucks’ 2021 championship.?

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With Stephen Curry’s return and a more balanced Warriors roster, can defenders in the league strive to imitate the players from his list and enhance their skill set to contain the Chef?