Stephen Curry States LeBron James And Chris Paul Are The Smartest Players He’s Witnessed

Stephen Curry is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the modern era, if not in the history of the NBA. But when asked about who possessed the highest basketball IQ he had ever seen, the Golden State Warriors superstar had a very straightforward answer.

In a recent interview with Complex, Curry hailed LeBron James and Chris Paul as two of the smartest players he had ever witnessed. He said:

"Between CP and Bron, those two, and it's the way they play obviously, and the way they talk. The way they can kind of orchestrate an offense, like control it." 

"Bron's like the one that controls the tempo the greatest. CP is the one that, in every possession, he knows what he's trying to get out of it, and at his peak, he was just insane."

Curry expanded on Paul's skills and his ability to score while also creating opportunities for his teammates before concluding with, "So those two are at the top of mine when it's the highest IQ, and obviously Draymond. That's like the podium for me."

While praising James and Paul, Curry also used the opportunity to give a shoutout to his Warriors teammate Draymond Green, an extremely intelligent player in his own right. Having been given the keys to Golden State's offense on more than one occasion, Green has shown himself to be a valuable facilitator while also being the team's defensive anchor.

The Warriors guard paints an interesting picture of James and Paul. While presenting both as highly cerebral players, he distinguished how they implement their intelligence.

With James, Curry noted his ability to control the game tempo. This aligns with stories shared by former teammate Iman Shumpert, who has often praised the superstar's uncanny ability to read situations, assess his team’s needs, and make real-time adjustments to execute the best possible play.

Although the 21-time All-Star is usually praised for his physical tools or his consistency, his intelligence could be considered one of his greatest and most underrated assets.

Paul is similar but different in his own right. Widely regarded as one of the best point guards in league history, the 12-time All-Star is lauded not only because of his ability to orchestrate an offense but also for his deep understanding of the game.

His knowledge of the sport and his ability to leverage certain rules and situations to his advantage make him a challenging opponent. When additionally factoring in his innate brilliance as a player, Paul may be one of the most complete pure point guards in the business.

As James and Paul enter the last stage of their careers, there is little to diminish what they have achieved as professionals. With all three legends in the same division of the Western Conference now, the potential for a few more iconic showdowns still lingers.