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Max Kellerman Makes Bold LeBron James Claim Over Steph Curry’s 2016 MVP Year

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vishwesha Kumar | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 10:08 AM ET

Max Kellerman has never been one to shy away from strong opinions. But his latest take on LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry in 2016 might be one of the most explosive of all.

Speaking on the "Game Over" podcast, Max stated:

"LeBron was easily the best player in the world. Easily. Not close. In retrospect, LeBron was worth two Stephs that year. He was so much better than everyone on the planet in 2016 when it mattered most."

Curry's regular season still stands out as one of the greatest ever in NBA history. The two-time MVP averaged 30.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting 50.4% from the field, 45.4% from the three-point range, and 90.4% from the stripe.

Curry led the league in scoring and steals, and he made an NBA record 402 three-pointers that season, in which the Golden State Warriors set a new regular season benchmark with a 73-9 record.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

James' regular season was still elite, but it did not come close to matching the Warriors' superstar. He averaged 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, shooting 52.0% from the field and 30.9% from three-point range.

LeBron led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 57-25 record, which was enough for the top seed in the East. And he finished third in MVP voting that season as well.

But what Max is talking about is the biggest stage in basketball—the NBA Finals.

Facing a 3-1 deficit, LeBron produced arguably the greatest three-game stretch in history. The 4-time MVP had back-to-back 41-point games in Games 5 and 6, then delivered a triple-double along with the infamous chasedown block in Game 7, to seal the first title for Cleveland in 52 years.

Max Kellerman says LeBron James was WAY BETTER than Steph Curry in 2016 despite Steph winning unanimous MVP:

“LeBron was easily the best player in the world. Easily. Not close. In retrospect, LeBron was worth two Steph’s that year. He was so much better than everyone on the… pic.twitter.com/IsZ7mCQcsZ
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 27, 2026

For the series, LeBron averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists, along with 2.6 blocks and 2.3 steals, shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range.

Meanwhile, Curry was a shell of his MVP form, averaging 22.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, on 40.3% shooting from the field and 40.0% from three.

LeBron also led both teams in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, a feat never matched in NBA finals history, as he won the Finals MVP unanimously. And that is the crux of Max Kellerman's argument. Steph Curry owned the regular season, but the biggest stage belonged to LeBron James.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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