11-Year NBA Veteran Facing Backlash for Controversial Steph Curry Comments

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Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is widely accepted as a top-two point guard in NBA history, with many believing he has overtaken Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson for the top spot.
Recently winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Curry carried Team USA in the semifinals against Serbia and finals against France. Despite this legendary performance on the world stage, Curry still receives disrespect from some prominent figures in NBA media.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas has been among those with recent comments about Curry that fans have found disrespectful. Most recently, Arenas said Kevin Durant saved Curry's legacy by joining the Warriors.
“They are the [73-9] team… Everybody put the narrative on KD for saying yes & not the [Warriors]… Your guns weren’t big enough to beat LeBron James, that you got to go out & get a bazooka."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 22, 2024
Gilbert Arenas on Kevin Durant saving Steph Curry's legacy 👀pic.twitter.com/Tzne76qU3D
Many view this inversely, believing it was Curry and the Warriors who elevated Durant, especially when considering Golden State won a championship before acquiring him and after he left.
I will always defend this steph narrative on here.
— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) August 22, 2024
Steph won a mvp & beat lebron for a chip W/o kd then won 73 games another mvp, then beat KD. Making kd JOIN HIM. Then KD leaves, hasn’t made it out the 2nd round while steph, replaces kd w/ andrew wiggins, and wins another chip. https://t.co/wvlgxSLze9
This is just one of several comments about Curry that Arenas has made recently, with the 11-year NBA veteran questioning whether the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers would still be dangerous if his three-point shot was taken away.
Is Steph Curry without his 3 still HOF 🤔 pic.twitter.com/2TEwOq2rlb
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) August 18, 2024
This is a completely pointless discussion, as Curry didn't simply benefit from the three-point line, but rather changed how it is viewed and approached across all levels of basketball.
Additionally, as fans have been pointing out, this discussion looks especially ridiculous when applied to other all-time greats.
I hear these questions a lot but I think they are doofus.
— In The Lab (@InTheLabBrand) August 17, 2024
Take away shaq’s height.
Lebrons athleticism
What if Allen iverson was slow
Would Kareem’s sky hook be unstoppable still at 6”0?
The only anomalies are kyrie and Kobe imo..
But even still…dumb convo https://t.co/Gt8HKBCAy3
Arenas crossed paths with Curry briefly in the NBA, finishing his career with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2011-12 season, which was Curry's third year in the league.
Facing a lot of backlash for his recent Curry comments, which include a bizarre conversation about whether or not he is a generational talent, Arenas has been facing backlash from fans.
Gilbert Arenas same guy always Hating on Steph Couldn’t have the same Energy in Person 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/BaIUZlRoWn
— Chef curry Parody (@baby_face_goat) August 22, 2024
Arenas has become one of the more controversial figures in sports media, as the former three-time NBA All-Star has had some wild takes about current and former players.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.