“Someone asked you if you could pick four guys for your pickup team …Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, and James Worthy, that was six years ago,” Craig Melvin said to Michael Jordan, 56, during the Oct. 21 episode of the TODAY show. “A lot has happened in the league in six years. Would you keep the same four?” Michael Jordan said that he would pick those same players in a “heartbeat” because they were the best players that he played against and with. “So, Steph Curry shouldn’t be offended when he watches this?” asked Craig.
“I hope not,” said Michael. “He’s still a great player. Not a Hall of Famer yet, though. He’s not.” Wow. On one hand, Steph can’t technically be inducted into the Hall Of Fame until five years after he retires. At age 31, Steph has a lot of basketball left in him, so it’s not like Steph is going to be an actual Hall Of Famer anytime soon. But, on the other hand, this is Steph Curry we’re talking about. He currently averages a career 23.5 points, 6.6. assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He’s a three-time NBA champion, a two-time MVP, a six-time All-NBA member, and a six-time NBA All-Star. He’s also a scoring champion, and a player who Yahoo Sports says “helped revolutionize the way the game is played.”
The remarks were met with cheers from Steph’s haters and eye-rolls from his fans. Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum (who has faced Steph in the NBA Playoffs and used to play alongside Steph’s brother, Seth Curry) questioned “Air” Jordan’s state of mind in this interview. “MJ was loaded,” he tweeted. To be fair, the TODAY show interview also put the spotlight on his new brand of tequila, Cincoro.
MJ was loaded 🤣😂 https://t.co/28JJn6n9KL
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) October 22, 2019
Steph is about to start his 11th season in the league. In comparison, Michael Jordan finished his 15-year NBA career with six championships, six Finals MVP awards, five league MVPs, and 14 All-Star appearances. Though the Golden State Warriors have taken some significant roster losses ahead of the 2019-2020 season – Klay Thompsons’s out for the year with an injury, Kevin Durant is now playing with the Nets – it’s not unreasonable to think that Steph could end his career with one or two more championships.
However, it’s safe to say that if Steph were to retire tomorrow, he would be a lock for the Hall of Fame the moment he became eligible.