We Hope Phil Jackson Is Kidding With This Terrible Stephen Curry Comparison

In the wake of Steph Curry’s latest eye-popping game, a 46-point outing at Oklahoma City that included a game-winning shot from ludicrously long range, even his peers have struggled to process the Golden State guard’s brilliance. Well, if you ask New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson, that comparison is fair game.

Phil Jackson’s nose is always up in the air, but rarely has it been as elevated as it was Sunday.

Of course we all thought Jackson was comparing Curry to Abdul-Rauf.

Abdul-Rauf played 9 years in the NBA, did not make any all-star appearances, save for an appearance in the 1993 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

This was probably just in a bit of fun, poking the bear that is Twitter to see people freak out, as they are wont to do whenever someone dares denigrate another player – especially when that player is Curry.

The only valid comparison is at the free-throw line. That was during the Bulls’ unprecedented 72-10 season, a mark at which Curry’s Warriors are taking aim, and Abdul-Rauf helped hand Michael Jordan and Co.

As with Curry, Abdul-Rauf was known for his long-range shooting, but the latter’s three-point percentage (.354) pales in comparison to that of the reigning MVP (.446).

As a fan, I prefer a more physical brand of basketball like it was played in the 1980s over what the Warriors do as well, but I don’t harbor any resentment toward Stephen Curry.

In other words, Jackson sees some similarities in the two players’ skill sets, but was not trying to convey that Rauf and Curry are the same caliber of player. Curry’s squad is showing no signs of slowing down and just demoralized one of its biggest adversaries in the Thunder.