Stephen Curry sparks debate by saying his '17 Warriors would beat the '96 Bulls
It's hard to argue against two teams in NBA history standing above the rest — the 2017 Golden State Warriors and the 1996 Chicago Bulls.
The list of big-game, Hall-of-Fame names is strikingly long: Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Scottie Pippen, Klay Thompson, Dennis Rodman, Draymond Green.
Heck, you can even throw Steve Kerr into that mix. Even though it's unlikely he'll ever be enshrined in the Hall for his feats as a player (although he does hold the highest 3-point field goal percentage of all time: 45.4%), Kerr is one of the most decorated coaches the league has seen in recent memory.
Interestingly, Kerr left a mark on both legendary squads, and while many credit him with opening the doors to Golden State's potent offense and fully unleashing Curry, Kerr might have been the Bulls guard tasked with guarding Curry in the hypothetical face-off.
And in Curry's mind, that would have been a big mismatch.
In response to a fan inquiry that questioned how the squad would venture against Jordan's Bulls, Curry said:
"Obviously, we will never know, but you put us on paper with them, I like our chances. I'd say Dubs in six, too."
No team had an easier journey to the Larry O'Brien trophy than Curry's Warriors did in 2017. They breezed their way through the postseason with 15 straight wins, dropping just one game to the Cavs in the Finals before completing a gentleman's sweep and cementing their second championship in three years.
Curry was virtually unstoppable during the run, averaging 28.1 points, 6.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game in the playoffs. And what's even scarier about that team: Curry wasn't even its most valuable player in the Finals. That honor went to Kevin Durant, who took home a unanimous Finals MVP award after averaging 35.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 5.4 APG.
Sheesh.
But if one team had the firepower and gumption to go toe-to-toe with those Warriors, it would be the Jordan-led ‘96 Bulls. Jordan never backed down from a challenge and likely would’ve made the bout a personal one after hearing Curry's comments.
Because of that, plus the tenacity and vigor that his Bulls took to the court, Chris Broussard doesn't think the Warriors would stand a chance.
"You can never bet against Jordan," Broussard said Wednesday morning on "First Things First."
"Here's the thing about that Bulls team: They swept the Shaq/Penny Hardaway Orlando Magic. This is pre-injury Penny Hardaway. They had shooting in Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson. The Bulls were able to guard them at the 3, while dealing with Shaq in the post. You're not going to outshoot the Warriors, but these Bulls could score with them and were first in defense. Jordan, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman — all long, all versatile. They were a swarming defense."
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Chris Broussard and Nick Wright decide whether or not they agree with Steph's hypothetical assessment.
Nick Wright detested Broussard's take, saying that he was merely caught up in Jordan's lore.
"The 2016 Warriors won 73 games, and many people believe would've waltzed to a championship if not for an unfair suspension, and/or an Andrew Bogut injury," Wright argued.
"They added one of the greatest players ever to that team. There's a reason why they started the playoffs 15-0. They never faced any adversity. The ‘96 Bulls on the other hand, as soon as George Karl decided to let the best defender in the league, Gary Payton, guard Michael Jordan, were in a dogfight in that series [vs. the Sonics]. And in the Finals, it went six games. Let’s just go best five vs. best five. Jordan and Pippen are at least a close-call vs. KD and Steph. What about the rosters after? It's Klay Thompson vs. Rodman. Then you have Draymond and Iggy, and the fourth and fifth guys on the Bulls are Luc Longley, or Toni Kukoč, or Ron Harper."
You can bet that the Bulls wouldn't go down without a valiant fight.
The team amassed the greatest regular-season record ever in 1995-96 (72-10), before the 2015-16 Warriors went 73-9. They were the only squad in NBA history to win 70-plus games in the regular season and win the NBA Championship, and posted the best combined record ever (87-13, .870 winning percentage).
Jordan's squad started the campaign 37-0 at home (finishing 39-2), had the NBA's leading scorer (Jordan, 30.4 PPG), leading rebounder (Rodman, 14.9 RPG) and three All-Defensive First Team players (Jordan, Pippen, Rodman).
And while Golden State's defense was never as staunch, its offense was historically great. The squad was just the eighth in NBA history with at least four All-Stars (Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green), and posted a 115.6 offensive rating (first in the NBA), while three players (Curry, Thompson, Durant) averaged north of 20 points per game. The team may not have had the defensive pedigree of the Bulls, but it did have the Defensive Player of the Year that season in Green.
If only we had a time machine. But since we don't, that matchup is one that will have to tip off in the eyes of our minds. That doesn't mean we'll stop debating it, though.