President Obama isn’t one to throw fake praise a player’s way. He knows his basketball. He understands the history of the game. In fact, he can be considered an authority on the game itself.
So when Obama draws a comparison between reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan, we might want to pay attention.
That’s exactly what Obama did in a recent interview with Time magazine:
“Steph Curry is the greatest shooter that I’ve ever seen,” President Obama said. “I am having more fun watching him than anybody since Michael Jordan.”
A self-declared Chicago Bulls fan, this probably wasn’t an easy conclusion for Obama to come to.
Though, he’s now met Curry multiple times over the past year-plus, including when the Warriors visited the White House following their title run last June. One could call the two friends.
Does Obama have blinders on here? Well, the president wouldn’t go as far to say that Curry is better than Jordan:
“Even Steph wouldn’t necessarily say he’s better than Jordan,” Obama said. “It’s rare where you get somebody who’s already at the pinnacle and then they take it a notch higher.”
It’s hard to argue against this point. Jordan won six NBA titles, earning the Finals MVP each time. He did so in the six consecutive seasons that he actually suited up for a full schedule.
Meanwhile, Curry is in the midst of what he hopes will be a second consecutive NBA title.
In terms of how electric Curry is while on the court, a comparison could definitely be drawn to Jordan. Not since MJ was in his heyday with the Bulls have we seen a player light up the NBA stage as much as Curry has this season.
Not Kobe. Not LeBron. Not anyone.