Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has identified the two NBA players who have presented him with the greatest defensive challenges throughout his professional career.
As the 38-year-old prepares for his 18th season in the league, he was asked during an interview with ABC7 News Bay Area to name the toughest individual defender he has encountered since entering the NBA in 2009.
Rather than selecting just one opponent, the four-time NBA champion shared the distinction between former Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley and current NBA veteran Jrue Holiday.
“It’s a tie for me between Avery Bradley and Jrue Holiday. Yeah, those are the guys,” Curry said.
Bradley established himself as one of the league’s notable perimeter defenders during his time in Boston, earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team recognition in the 2012-13 season before making the First Team in 2015-16.
Despite Bradley’s defensive reputation, Curry maintained averages of 26.2 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds in their head-to-head encounters.
Holiday has also built an accomplished defensive resume, receiving six NBA All-Defensive Team selections throughout his career. He has additionally been named a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award, although he has never won the honor.
Against Holiday, Curry has recorded averages of 25.2 points, 6.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.
