In the eyes of Michael Jordan, Steph Curry isn’t a Hall of Fame player yet, and he wouldn’t select him to be one of the players for a pick-up game.
In 2013 Jordan said he’d choose Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen and James Worthy to be on his dream team for a pick-up game. And on Monday, when Jordan stopped by the “Today” show for an interview, he was asked if those players would still be on his team, which he said yes to.
“When I’m going in the trenches, I played against and with all these guys, I’m going with who I know,” said the former Chicago Bull. “Every single night that responsibility to go out there and represent greatness every single night.”
The interviewer Craig Melvin then asked Jordan if Curry should be offended for not being selected to his pick-up game squad.
“I hope not ’cause he’s still a great player,” Jordan answered. “Not a Hall of Famer yet, though. He’s not.”
Many consider Curry to be one of the NBA’s top players, if not the best, so people were clearly surprised by Jordan’s answer based on the social media responses.
Because the Golden State Warrior has made 300 or more three pointers in three seasons, a league record. And in the 2015/2016 season, he made a whopping 402 threes, the most ever in the NBA.
Not to mention, Curry has already won three NBA titles, and by his stellar outside shooting he’s been credited for changing the way basketball is played today.
“MJ gotta know Steph ain’t actually coming for his spot, right? This just out-the-way type slander from the OG,” one person wrote on Twitter about Jordan’s comments.
“Haters gonna hate,” another person tweeted.
Magic Johnson weighed in as well.
“Everyone relax. We know Steph Curry is a future Hall of Famer. Michael Jordan couldn’t say it because he would get fined by the league,” he tweeted.
Curry eventually responded to Jordan and didn’t seem offended, but admitted that he’s always trying to improve
“I think I’m good, but then I’m never complacent. … I know I have more to prove to myself,” he said in a new interview with writer Matt Welty for Sole Collector. “When you hear a guy like that who’s the greatest of all time, it’s kind of funny. Since we’ve been on this stage, we’ve heard a lot of retired guys chiming in on this generation of basketball players and evaluating talent and saying their generation was better and all that.”
“It’s a great conversation for the fans to get in on,” Curry added. “I know I’m in good shape for that, but I still have a lot to prove to myself.”
