How Would Steph Curry Fare In A One-On-One All-Star Weekend Event?

Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady spoiled a one-on-one tournament at NBA All-Star in 2026, and Steph Curry could have a strong chance at winning

May 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) react after a play during the fourth quarter of game seven of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The NBA All-Star weekend has been getting criticized more and more over the years, from the lack of excitement around the dunk contest to All-Stars just not being competitive during the game itself. The league has tried to innovate with events such as a three-point shootout between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, but failed to do a follow-up involving Caitlin Clark.

However, according to NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, there are expected to be some major changes coming to All-Star weekend. It was already reported by ESPN's Shams Charania that a Team USA vs Team World format is being put into place, but the next change is one fans have been asking for for a while now.

“Sorry NBC, If I’m not supposed to be telling this but I think they gonna have one-on-one at All-Star weekend this year.” 👀

— Tracy McGrady

(via @GilsArenaShow, h/t @BackcourtAlerts)pic.twitter.com/6wiz5SjNsZ

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 10, 2025

In what might've been a leak by McGrady, he revealed on ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas' show that the NBA is planning on doing one-on-one at All-Star weekend. McGrady was very vague on what it would be, but the hope would be it's a tournament featuring the 2026 All-Star with a large grand prize to incentivize the players to compete.

If that is the case, there's one player who many will be excited to play: Steph Curry.

How Would Steph Curry Fare In A 1v1 Tournament?

Steph Curry’s best ISO (isolation) play vs every NBA franchise pic.twitter.com/tw4HQP8aMF

— . (@30Burner_) July 30, 2023

The Golden State Warriors star is one of the most gifted offensive players the game has ever seen, as he's pulled off magical moves against countless elite defenders and has made them look clueless. However, looking at a projected field, Curry would have to have a shooting performance for the ages to get by.

Of course, the rules put in place around the one-on-one games would matter a lot, such as the number of dribbles players have and other regulations. However, the big men would likely struggle the most in this case, with maybe Nikola Jokic being able to overcome the obstacles. But with Curry being defended by a big man, he should be able to get around them with ease.

Steph Curry 2025 Isolation scoring pic.twitter.com/ZVkxx8ytxq

— Gardas (@Gardas111) May 12, 2025

However, there are a few players who could be unstoppable when it comes to this. Kevin Durant would be a popular favorite in this situation, especially with his two-way abilities and scoring threat at his height. Giannis Antetokounmpo would be impossible for smaller guards to stop, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shown he can score in isolation at will.

But, at the end of the day, there's no denying just how special Curry is as a scorer. If he's able to get some steals and find a way to get his shot off, it would be hard for other All-Stars to slow down a red-hot Curry. If he can score over multiple defenders, why can't he score over one?