If Curry wins another championship, can he surpass James? Currently, he has 4 championships

On June 10, in the history of the NBA, the debate over the status of players has never stopped, and Stephen Curry and LeBron James, two epoch-making superstars, have been the focus of hot discussions among fans and the media in recent years. As Curry leads the Warriors to win his fourth championship trophy in 2022, the discussion on "will surpass James if Curry wins another championship". The two men who also hold four championships have left unlimited careers on this topic. To explore this issue in depth, we need to comprehensively analyze it from multiple dimensions such as the value of the championship, personal honor, influence of the times, and basketball philosophy.

###1. The value of the championship is and the role of the team

Although both of them currently have four championships, their path to winning the championship is completely different from that of the team. James played for three teams in four championships (Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers), and all led the team to win the championship as absolute core. Among them, the feat of leading the Cavaliers to reverse 73 wins against the Warriors in 2016 was hailed as "the most valuable champion in history." Curry's four championships all came from the Warriors. Although the 2015 and 2022 championships were questioned by some public opinion (such as Cavaliers Irving and Love absent in 2015), the two championships from 2017 to 2018 showed their historical offensive dominance. If Curry wins another championship, especially leads the team to the top as FMVP, the "purity" of his championship will be greatly improved and the gap with James will be narrowed.

###2. Comparison of hard indicators of personal honors

James is currently in the top two discussions with 4MVP+4FMVP+19 All-Stars+Historical Score King; Curry follows closely with the honor of 2MVP+1FMVP+9 All-Stars+Historical Three-Point King. James has significant advantages in the number of MVP and FMVPs, but Curry's "epoch-making" adds points - he completely changed the spatial concept of basketball and led the "small ball era". If Curry wins FMVP again in the future, his shortcomings in "critical battle proof" will be made up, and if James wins another championship as the core of the Lakers, it may further consolidate his "all-round warrior" legend.

###3. The battle between the influence of the times and the historical status of Curry is essentially a collision between the two basketball philosophy "system core" and "individual heroism". James is known for his all-round skills and peak longevity (persistent), and his "one-star four-shot" model has influenced the league's team building ideas; Curry redefined modern basketball with his unsolvable three-pointer and the liquidity offense of the "Warriors System". From the perspective of cultural influence, Curry promoted the global popularization of basketball (especially in the Asian market), while James was more benchmark in social activities and the construction of a business empire. The two's achievements on different tracks are difficult to directly compare, but if Curry can win another championship as a point guard with a "non-traditional figure", his "counterattack narrative" will greatly impact the traditional superstar evaluation system.

###4, the potential path and challenge of the fifth championship

Both of them have narrowed their window for the fifth championship. James, 38, needs to rely on the Lakers management to strengthen the lineup, while Curry, 35, faces the aging of the Warriors' lineup (Thompson and Green are in a decline in form) and salary pressure. If Curry can lead the new generation of Warriors (such as Kumingga, Pojemsky and other rookies to grow) to win another championship in the next two years, his loyalty attributes of "one person, one city" and the leadership value of "cultivating newcomers" will add weight to his historical status; and if James wins the championship at the same time in the Lakers (411 Project" (40,000 points + 10,000 rebounds + 10,000 assists) at the same time, it may completely end the "GOAT battle". It is worth noting that public opinion often judges the "champion in his later years" more stringent - for example, the controversy over the Lakers' "Bubble Champion" in 2020. If the two win the championship as role players in the future, their value will inevitably be greatly reduced.

###5. Evaluation changes in historical context

The judgment of the historical status of the NBA has always accompanied the evolution of the values ​​of the times. Ten years ago, "number of championships" was the only criterion for measuring superstars, but now the media valued "the uniqueness of the championship path" (such as Nowitzki won the single-core championship in 2011). If Curry wins another championship, the controversy over his "uncrowned FMVP" (2015) will be downplayed, and if James stops in four championships, he may be re-examined by later generations for "frequent team changes". In addition, the two's career confrontation records (including the 1-3 win-loss relationship in the finals) will also become an important footnote.

###Conclusion: Transcendence or not depends on how to define "great"

After all, Curry's comparison with James is a dialogue between two great forms. Curry represents a new era of technological revolution and team supremacy, while James symbolizes the perfect combination of personal abilities and business sports. If Curry wins the fifth championship, his historical status is expected to be comparable to or even surpass James in some dimensions, but James' multi-dimensional dominance is still difficult to be completely subverted. For fans, it is even more fortunate to witness the two legends still fighting for the championship at the end of their careers - no matter who hits the fifth championship first in the end, they have already rewrite the chapter of basketball history together.