Steph Curry the Cam Newton of the NBA?
/If you're a Carolina Panthers fan, you probably love the guy [Steph Curry]. He's a Carolina native who represents our fanbase, is a diehard Panthers fan and Davidson graduate. Also, he's just like our MVP QB, Cam Newton. Possibly the Cam Newton of Basketball? Let me explain:
We've seen what both of them can do-- MVP, 15+ game winning streaks to start off the season, face of their franchise, and burst onto the scene in the championship.
Cam Newton came into the league a top ten draft pick [Number 1 Overall], Steph Curry was a top ten pick as well [Number 7 Overall]. When Steph came into the league, he faced a lot of skepticism for being "undersized" and teams were faced with lots of concern about how NBA ready he was. When Cam came out of Auburn, scouts viewed him as the "spread style quarterback" who "wouldn't succeed in an NFL system." He was athletic, but critics doubted he could succeed as a passing quarterback.
They both had great rookie seasons. Cam won Offensive Rookie of the Year and Steph made the All-NBA Rookie team after the 2009 season. I wouldn't describe Cam as "Injury-Riddled" but I would definitely use that term regarding Steph prior to coming into his prime. Cam did have a rough 2014 season regarding injuries, however. Broken ribs with his ribs, a fractured vertebrae, and an ankle surgery hobbled came going into his fourth season. Steph had a rough 2013 season with injuries before hitting his prime and before winning his first MVP. But here's where it gets weird:
In the 2015 season, Cam and Steph were more similar than ever. Starting off the season with a huge, undefeated, winning streak (Steph starting off 24-0, Cam going 14-0) and then that being ended from a huge upset. They both had magical, record-setting seasons (Warriors 73-9, Panthers 15-1) and ran away with the conference title. We can't say this for sure yet, but then in the finals, they both met their Kryptonite: The Veteran, League Legend, Future Hall-of-Famer, whose career certainly can't be summed up in their number of rings. Lebron James and Peyton Manning, possibly the best QB to ever play and the best NBA player to ever play.
Aside from their magical 2015 seasons, what else is similar? I would certainly describe Cam as very happy-go-lucky, easy-going and friendly, but what about Steph? Say what you will but after this week's Game 6 of the NBA Finals, this mouthguard throwing, fouling-out Steph certainly does not remind me of the Panthers MVP. But this is still a very plausible comparison-- and not just because there is a towel on both of their heads. Steph like Cam is emotional. He may pull himself together in the press conferences a little better, but he plays with a passion and intensity that we see from Cam week in and week out. However, the similarities just cannot be speculated. But, no matter how much you disagree with this article, and no matter how different you think they are, Cam and Steph’s friendship is unquestionable. As for their playing skills in their respective sport, those are just as elite as you can get.
By Powell Haynes
Follow him on Twitter @powellhaynes12