mobile app bar

When Steph Curry Listed the Three Players Who Played the Best Defense Against Him

Smrutisnat Jena
Published

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball during the second quarter of game seven of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has faced more his fair share of challenges on the court during his time in the NBA. Sixteen years and four NBA championships will do that to you, but according to Steph, his toughest challenge has come from within the Curry household.

When you think about all the memorable battles Steph Curry has had on the court, names like Jrue Holiday, Tony Allen, Avery Bradley and Patrick Beverley come to mind. Steph has notably gotten the better of them more often than not, to be fair.

You don’t get to be called one of the best shooters in the game without doing so, but as far his brother Seth is concerned, Steph asserts there’s a lot more to their battle than meets the eye.

The 11-time NBA All-Star, found himself on GQ Sports in 2022, answering some intriguing fan questions. One of these questions was about the toughest defenders he has had to go against during his time in the NBA. According to Steph, it’s Charlotte Hornets shooting guard, Seth Curry.

“[Seth] knows my game so well. And there is always that kind of vibe of him disarming me when I am out there. Because I feel like I am so proud to see my brother out there on the court, I kind of get lost in that moment,” Steph confessed.

“But outside of Seth, I would probably say Tony Allen or Avery Bradley,” he added, naming the two other players who have given him the most trouble.

Steph has been asked this particular question many times throughout his career, and he hasn’t always had the same answer for the press or the fans, for that matter. A few months after this episode aired, Steph told Sports Illustrated that the top three defenders he faced were Tony Allen, Jrue Holiday and Ron Artest.

Allen, of course, remains a constant, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise, since even the late Kobe Bryant had called him the toughest defender he ever faced. Aspiring defenders could take a few lessons from Allen, should they wish to be able to stop Curry, or they could just ask Steph the secret to success against him, since he has been happy to answer that question as well.

Responding to a Quora question about how he could be stopped, Steph revealed, “What did LeBron say that one time? ‘You don’t.’” You can call him a bit cocky here, but let’s be honest, where’s the lie?

Post Edited By:Jodi Whisenhunt

About the author

Smrutisnat Jena

Smrutisnat Jena

x-iconlinkedin-icon

Smrutisnat Jena is a UFC Editor with The SportsRush. With 8 years of experience under his belt, Smrutisnat has had a career that has travelled through the multiverse of journalism, be it politics, entertainment or satire. But as a practitioner of amateur wrestling, his true love has always been combat sports. After being introduced to Chuck Liddell at the age of 8, working with MMA has always been THE goal for him. When he's away from work, Smrutisnat likes hanging out with dogs, and sparring with his teammates at the local gym, often simultaneously.

Share this article