Steph Curry needs no introduction.
The Warriors superstar changed the game of basketball with his otherworldly shooting ability and dynastic success on and off the court. He isn’t done yet, either.
Still, retired 11-year veteran Gilbert Arenas dared to say Curry was not a generational player on the latest episode of the “Gil’s Arena” podcast.
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“Steph is not a generational talent,” Arenas declared. “You know what a generational -- [Victor Wembanyama] is a generational person that is a generational talent. Generational means you can’t mimic it. Can you mimic Magic Johnson -- six-foot-nine point guard with the vision? No. You can’t mimic Shaquille O'Neal’s body. You can’t mimic LeBron James.
“Those [players] are generational, physical traits are generational. Somebody like Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is tweaking. Like, [Nikola] Jokić is not a generational talent, he’s just a great basketball player. Curry is a great basketball player. Generational is something that’s once every 20 -- when it comes, you’re like, ‘Damn.’”
“Steph [Curry] is not a generational talent... Generational means you can’t mimic it... You can’t mimic f*cking LeBron James. You can’t mimic Victor Wembanyama... [Nikola] Jokic is not a generational talent."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 31, 2024
— Gilbert Arenas 😳
(via @GilsArenaShow)pic.twitter.com/9zrVIMjzvJ
Arenas describing Curry and Denver Nuggets great Jokić as “great basketball players” seems to be backhanded praise.
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All of the players the 42-year-old host listed are generational talents -- they don’t come around often. But for some reason, Curry and Jokić don’t meet Arenas’ criteria due to their “physical traits” being mimicable.
Curry has earned four NBA Championships, 10 All-NBA and All-Star nods and two NBA MVPs in 15 seasons with Golden State. Jokić has excelled during his nine seasons in Denver, leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title while stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis.
However, the two future first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame selections likely have more doppelgangers circling the globe than Wembaynama, per Arenas, which discredits their bodies of work when compared to other legends.
Arenas was a three-time All-Star and All-NBA guard, but his accolades don't compare to any of the players he listed.
Curry and Jokić shouldn’t break a sweat over Arenas’ comments.