Warriors star Stephen Curry is one of the most difficult players to guard in the NBA. His combination of speed, vision, and of course, his legendary shooting touch make him a matchup nightmare for most opponents.
Despite that, there have been players who have given Golden State’s point guard some issue with their defensive acumen.
During an interview on the TODAY Show, Curry revealed his list of toughest defenders, which included a mix of current and former players: Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen and former 17-year veteran Metta World Peace (Ron Artest).
“There’s a group of three that always ... the lightbulb went off when they were on the court,” said Curry. “It’s Jrue Holiday, Tony Allen, and Ron Artest, actually. I didn’t get to play too many games against [Artest], but he had the strongest hands you’ve ever seen in your life.”
"There's a group of 3 that always a light bulb went off when they're on the court. Jrue Holiday, Tony Allen and Ron Artest."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 30, 2023
Stephen Curry on the toughest defenders he's played against.
(via @TODAYshow)pic.twitter.com/b0LsMrDhlH
The aforementioned players were commonly considered among the league’s best defenders during their playing days, and Holiday still is heralded as one of the league’s top defensive guards.
Curry isn’t the first superstar to mention Allen as one of his most difficult defensive matchups. Back in 2016, Kobe Bryant gifted Allen a pair of signed sneakers with the message, “To Tony, the best defender I ever faced,” written above his signature.
While Curry singled out those three individuals as the ones who gave him the most trouble during his career, there’s not many other players in the league capable of keeping him quiet when his shot is falling.
