Stephen Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to their 4th championship in his NBA career. One could argue that he is the cornerstone of one of the most successful franchises ever. Additionally, he has several accolades to his name and is widely regarded as the best shooter in the NBA.
This led former NBA champion and now analyst Kendrick Perkins to make a somewhat controversial statement comparing the NBA superstar with an NFL legend.
Tom Brady is an NFL star and quarterback who last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is considered a GOAT in the NFL world much like Michael Jordan or LeBron James is in the NBA. Additionally, he also won 7 championships in the NFL super bowl. One must wonder why Perkins felt the need to compare both these great athletes and on what basis he decided they were similar.
Kendrick Perkins claims Stephen Curry can have as long a prime as Tom Brady
There are several ways to calculate the greatness of a professional athlete. The prime of the player usually plays a huge role in his\her legacy. A prime simply refers to how long a star can perform at a high level. Brady proved he can adapt his game and improve his longevity. He has played high-level football for 22 years now. Additionally, he spent 19 years of his career with the New England Patriots. This is similar to the kind of loyalty we can expect from Steph towards the Warriors.
Kendrick Perkins explained how that is not the only reason he feels the need to compare the two sports legends. He was asked how long he thought Curry could continue playing at a prime level. However, he turned his initial answer into a “hot take” on why Stephen Curry is like Tom Brady.
“In his prime? I would say another 8 or 10 years when I look at Steph Curry. I think Steph Curry as far as longevity wise can be Tom Brady of the NBA. When you look at Steph Curry his game does not rely on athleticism, he’s not a guy that has to dunk the ball or has to beat you with speed… he beats you with his craftiness skillset and most importantly his shooting… He could be 44 years of age playing this style of basketball.”
One must wonder whether Kendrick went over the top while predicting how long the 4x NBA champion would remain in his prime. It is slightly ridiculous to expect “prime play” from a 44-year-old Steph. The oldest player in the NBA currently is Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat.
Haslem is well past his prime and averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds in the 2021 season. Additionally, he averaged only 6 minutes of game time and played in only 13 games last year. Therefore, we should wonder whether Perk actually means prime play or is referring to simply crawling past the finish line.
