Stephen Curry has long put a spell on the NBA universe with his lights-out shooting. With his sniper-like tendency to lock on a target and get buckets in bunches, he has soared to the echelons of the greats. Even after 13 seasons in the NBA, Curry continues to add to his impressive catalog of honors. He is now 34 years old; however, shows no signs of slowing down.
Curry powered the Golden State Warriors to their fourth NBA championship in the last eight year’s previous season. A phenomenal year in which #30 shattered records after records saw him draw plaudits from many. In fact, a former All-Star and Warriors alum lavished Curry with praises, labeling him the GOAT.
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During an appearance on VladTV, Gilbert Arenas claimed that Stephen Curry is the GOAT. He did, however, tone down his compliment for the Warriors phenom by injecting a little filter, dubbing him the GOAT of 6-foot-4 and under players.
Arenas remarked that Curry’s highlight reels are spectacular and praised his ball-handling abilities. He then called the reigning Finals MVP the GOAT of 6-foot-4 and under.
However, Arenas also stated that Stephen Curry would always be overlooked as the GOAT because of his height. He also claimed that a GOAT is expected to be 6’6″ or taller, therefore smaller players must accomplish much more to be recognized.
Gilbert Arenas faces backlash on Twitter despite praising Stephen Curry
Gilbert Arenas was a force to be reckoned with in his prime. The Washington Wizards icon was a multi-faceted player. Each night, his killer ability to get a bucket presented challenges for opposing defenders. Arenas was a 6’3″ guard himself, so he understands what it takes to score against much larger bodies.
Curry had several doubters prior to last season. He was constantly hurled dirt upon and criticized for not showing up in the playoffs. However, his heroics in the last postseason helped paint the Bay Area in gold. Curry was able to capture the coveted Finals MVP trophy and NBA championship No. 4 by recording a 31-6-5 stat line and sinking 44% of his triples. However, Arenas doesn?t envision Curry getting the respect he deserves.
Fun fact: Steph Curry won 3 MVP awards this season.
— All-Star Game MVP
— West Finals MVP
— Finals MVP pic.twitter.com/aSGht9spQN— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 17, 2022
Arenas argued that fans are conditioned to expect players to play?above the basket. However, Curry?is not a highlight reel athlete like Michael Jordan or LeBron James,?thus many people will not include him on their GOAT list.
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While Gilbert Arenas praised Curry by calling him the GOAT of 6-foot-4 and under, many fans still found a way to criticize the former player’s comments.
Why do we bring up height and size to minimize Steph? It’s absurd actually
— Fortune👨🏾💻🍊🌉 (@HiiiPowerRevo) September 5, 2022
I mean who else could it possibly be
— simon 🇨🇴 (@simonsvoid) September 4, 2022
Why is this even news? It's like someone saying water is wet.
— Blobert DeNiro (@BlobertDeNiro) September 5, 2022
https://twitter.com/MasterSage_/status/1566565107857072133
Now GOAT’s are Broken down by size lol .. he’s a 4x champ / Finals MVP / all time 3 pt shooter / 2x MVP / All Star MVP .. I mean he’s in the convo of one of the best in general
— Jon-Erik Hutt (@JonErikHutt) September 5, 2022
I'll give it a little more time. Steph 'could' go down as top three before it's all said and done. History is starting to do it's thing, and I'll let it work.
— AntMoon325 👨🏿🇺🇲🌕💵 (@AntWadley325) September 5, 2022
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Since when we ranking players on their heights😭
— Nick (@Rod_22w) September 4, 2022
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duh, there’s really no comp
— leygoat (@leygoatt) September 4, 2022