NBA superstar Steph Curry says fans should stop debating the best NBA team of all time, emphasizing legacy, game changers and how different eras shaped the league.

There’s a long line of greatness in the NBA—one stretching back through time like a golden thread woven through different eras, rules, and kinds of dominance, from the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics of the 1960s, who snatched 11 titles in 13 years, to Magic Johnson’s dazzling “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers, which turned fast breaks into theater.

Then came Larry Bird’s rugged Celtics, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal’s early 2000s Lakers, and the power-packed Miami Heat trio that shook the 2010s. And somewhere in the middle of it all, the Golden State Warriors came through like a glitch in the matrix.

No best team

But Stephen Curry, who helped fuel that Warriors juggernaut, says the debates about the “greatest team of all time” should probably take a backseat.

“The best team ever — which I don’t agree with [having that debate],” Curry, who’s gone to six NBA Finals, winning four, said. “There is no such thing in terms of every era is different, circumstances is different. And like the whole greatest player of all-time and things like that which could be debatable or not, but there are that short list of people that changed the league or move the needle that are conversation worthy.”

Curry’s Warriors—led by his electric shooting, Draymond Green’s defensive wall, Klay Thompson’s silky finesse, and later Kevin Durant’s lethal efficiency—dominated the 2010s with a rare mix of chemistry and chaos.

Between 2015 and 2022, they reached six NBA Finals and captured four championships. The 2015–16 Warriors won a record-breaking 73 regular season games, eclipsing the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls’ 72–10 mark. That same team, however, infamously fell short in the Finals, giving up a 3–1 lead to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And that’s where Curry’s point lands with weight. Numbers tell one story. Rings tell another. But greatness is more layered. More circumstantial.

The ’96 Bulls, with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, terrorized with physicality and an unrelenting drive. The ’80s Celtics and Lakers had rivalries and identities built-in blood and bruises. James’ Heat had to fight through doubt and expectation before clicking into dominance.

And the Warriors changed basketball’s geometry. 3-point barrages. Spacing. Pace. Positionless basketball. They were a product of their era — and they helped redefine it.

Curry’s views

Curry’s stance strips the gloss off the barbershop arguments and media headlines. He’s not interested in who wins the mythical G.O.A.T. debates. He’s focused on impact and legacy. The game changers who shaped the future.

“A huge reason why I play the game right now and all that type of stuff and why I think I’ll have a reason why certain future generations will play,” Curry said. “Figuring out who those game changers are and that type of conversation is important.”

It comes down to evolution. The players and teams that altered how the game is played are the ones that matter most. Wilt Chamberlain forced rule changes. Johnson and Bird revived a dying league. Jordan globalized the NBA. Allen Iverson brought culture and rebellion into the mix. Then came Curry, whose gravity on the court bent defenses and redefined what’s possible from 30 feet out.

For all its wins and wild moments, the Warriors’ dynasty stands out not because it stacked trophies but because it sparked imitation. Young hoopers started pulling up from deep in transition because the sharpshooter in Golden State did. Big men stretched their range. Coaches had to rethink defensive schemes. His fingerprints are on the entire league now.

That’s what Curry sees as more valuable than a label. More valuable than being told his team was the “best ever.” His Warriors team belongs in the conversation. He just doesn’t think the conversation needs a winner.