The age of 30 if often seen as milestone for athletes. marking the transition into a veteran stage of their careers. This holds true for a physically demanding game like basketball. Interestingly, even at age 36 in 2024, Stephen Curry remains one of the faces of the NBA. Some might argue that he’s not in the championship mix and he’s past his prime. But the 2024 Paris Olympics demonstrated that Curry is still one of the best in the business.

Stephen Curry is set to embark on a chapter where he will no longer be a part of the Splash Brothers. The Dubs ace often takes a backseat when it comes to the GOAT debate. But what do the GOATs think of him? Elgin Baylor is one of those legends, a champion without a championship and one of the best players in the LA Lakers’ history. So surely he knows a thing or two about the game and is more than capable talent to assess Steph’s otherworldly abilities.
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2018 was the year when the Golden State Warriors faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the fourth straight time as two dynasties collided. Steph vs LeBron was THE debate then, and Baylor made himself a part of it. The late legend talked to Andrew Doak, a Texas Tech Alum in 2018. Baylor talked about the two dynamic stars of today. “LeBron James and Steph Curry are my two favorite NBA players. I think Steph is the most fascinating player I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen someone with that ability to shoot the hoop from beyond the three-point line, it’s incredible,” the Lakers great said.
Curry himself believes that he is the best point guard ever, a widely shared view in the NBA world. But his peripheral existence in the GOAT debate is still a lingering sentiment in the hoop world. At 36, it is a challenge to surpass his previous form, but he can certainly add to his legend, just like he did in the 132-126 win over the Boston Celtics last season. His 33-point performance sparked the GOAT debate once again, and the stage was set for Kenny Smith and another Lakers legend, Shaquille O’Neal, to debate over it.

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When it comes to the GOAT debate, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant are the automatic choices one can name. The same was for Kenny Smith during the post-game show of the December 19 match between the Warriors and the Cs. The question ultimately was popped by Shaq whether Curry is in the GOAT conversation. “I played 20 years, watched 20 years before that. I’ve never seen a guy like him, and he’s doing it consistently, and he has championships…Is it time to just put him in the conversation? I think, I think he’s,” Big Diesel said, to which Smith disagreed.

For him, Curry was only the best in his position. “If I’m having the conversation, yeah…I’m saying, I think I put Steph Curry in that conversation,” Shaq reiterated. For a player who has won 4 championships, and been in 10 All-Star teams with multiple NBA MVP awards (2), Curry certainly has a valid claim in the conversation.