The Golden State Warriors icon has Jordan’s GOAT status in his sights

Steph Curry is one of the most decorated NBA players of all time.

The Golden State Warriors icon has won four NBA titles, two Most Valuable Player awards and is regarded as the greatest shooter ever to play the game thanks to his otherworldly prowess from behind the three-point line.

Many feel the 37-year-old point guard deserves to be discussed alongside the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James the greatest NBA player of all time.

And when Curry was asked in 2015 – as the Warriors were en route their first title with the former Davidson Wildcat in the backcourt – whether unseating Jordan as the GOAT was one of his aims, he offered a blunt and honest reply.

LeBron James and Steph Curry are two of the best players of their generation

“Is going down as the GOAT in your mind’s eye, or do you just go in conceding that title due to the presence of one Michael Jordan?” Curry was asked in an interview for ESPN The Magazine.

“It’s a high mountain to climb,” the Warriors superstar responded, “but I’m pretty motivated to take on the challenge. Whatever that means, however you got on that mountain, why not try to climb it? And do it in your own way.”

“So you are trying to top MJ as the greatest of all time?” the reported followed up.

“Yeah,” Curry said bluntly. “Why else would I be playing? You want to be the best you can be. And if the best you can be is better than him, then why not? That’s good motivation.”

In 2019, Jordan was asked who he’d rather face in a one-against-one match-up, Curry or LeBron James. The NBA GOAT backed himself to get the better of both players, but argued he’d have had less difficulty with the Golden State icon due to his size.

“Well, I’d go against Stephen Curry because I’m a little bit bigger than him so I could back him in, but LeBron’s a little bit too big,” Jordan said.

“If I was in my prime, could I beat LeBron in a one-on-one game? No question. And he’s going to say no question. [Curry] is a great player. Not a Hall of Famer yet, though. He’s not.”

Curry was later asked about Jordan’s claim that he had not yet secured a place in basketball’s Hall of Fame.

“I think I’m good, but then I’m never complacent,” he told Matt Welty during an interview for Sole Collector.

“I know I have more to prove to myself. When you hear a guy like that, who’s the greatest of all time, it’s kind of funny.

“Since we’ve been on this stage, we’ve heard a lot of retired guys chiming in on this generation of basketball players and evaluating talent and saying their generation was better and all that.

“It’s a great conversation for the fans to get in on.

“I know I’m in good shape for that, but I still have a lot to prove to myself.”

Since that interview, Curry has added a fourth NBA championship, a first Finals MVP award, an Olympic gold medal and the accolade of being the first player ever to make 4,000 three-pointers to his unquestionably Hall of Fame-worthy résumé.

Michael Jordan didn’t hesitate when naming the one sportsman who left him starstruck when they first met

It takes a lot to leave Jordan starstruck, but there was one meeting that he admitted was a real privilege.

It would take a lot to leave NBA legend Michael Jordan starstruck, but he has admitted that meeting one sporting star was an absolute privilege.

Having played in an era when the NBA hosted all-time greats such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquelle O’Neal and Larry Bird, it’s safe to say Jordan has met his fair share of sporting legends.

With an impressive six NBA championships and several personal accomplishments throughout his 15 season career, Jordan himself is widely considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time.

However, neither of these things stopped him from being completely starstruck when meeting one sports icon for the first time.

While many would consider Jordan to be the greatest NBA player ever, some would argue that Wilt Chamberlain still holds that title.

Chamberlain remains the only player to ever score 100 points in an NBA game, doing so during a historic match for the Philadelphia Warriors in March 2 1962 as his side recorded a 169–147 win over the New York Knicks.

According to the NBA’s official website, ‘The Big Dipper’ was basketball’s unstoppable force and ‘the most awesome offensive force the game has ever seen,’ and therefore it comes as no surprise that Jordan idolised him.

And when the two men finally met each other, Jordan admitted that he was left in awe.

“I got the chance to meet Wilt Chamberlain for the first time, which I thought was a privilege for me being that I finished second to him in a lot of individual stats and career stats and scoring stats,” Jordan said via MDBBall.

“He was very nice to visit. He came up to me and congratulated me on my career.”

Wilt Chamberlain is viewed by many as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. (Image: Getty)

He added: “I’m a basketball enthusiast, and I honour and respect the people that gave me the opportunity to excel at this game, to make a living at this game. To see a lot of those guys, it was a privilege for me.”

Chamberlain was the only NBA player to score 4,000 points in a season and set NBA single-game records for most points (100), most consecutive field goals (18) and most rebounds (55).

He retired as the all-time leader in career points with 31,419, which was later surpassed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki.

Tragically, the NBA legend passed away on October 12, 1999, at age 63 due to congestive heart failure.