Over the last several seasons, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have remained staples in the NBA's best player discussion.
James and Curry have led teams to sustained success that features earning multiple championships. However, former NBA player Richard Jefferson no longer believes that either sits among the league's best talents.
Since transitioning into retirement, Richard Jefferson remains one of the most outspoken former NBA players through his various analyst positions.
Jefferson hasn't been afraid to speak his mind on any matter concerning the league. During a recent interview with GQ Sports, he voiced that he believes that neither James nor Curry is among the league's best players.
“Neither of those f****** are the best," Jefferson said. There are guys that are far better than both of them. Maybe not far, but you would go Giannis (Antetokounmpo), (Nikola) Jokic, (Joel) Embiid. It all depends on the season.
"Who is the better player right now? Well look, LeBron James is still a force, but he's been balling and his team keeps losing. So these guys are old. These guys are outdated. These guys are so like five years ago."
Jefferson may be speaking with plenty of sarcasm in his response, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid have presented strong cases that they are currently better players. Each has put together an MVP-caliber campaign, while James and Curry have struggled with injuries.
It's not a shot at either star player, but Jefferson's response lies rooted in the current status.
Although LeBron James missed playing time in his 19th campaign due to nagging knee issues, he proved he remains an elite talent.
James showed no decline in his performance by nearly capturing his second career scoring title after averaging 30.3 points while shooting 52.5% from the floor along with 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
He became the oldest player to record multiple 50-point games in a single season. James also set the mark for the oldest player to notch 25 points in 23 consecutive games.
With the Los Angeles Lakers missing the playoffs for the second time in his first four seasons, it's hard not to envision him maintaining his high level of play for at least another campaign.
Curry picked up where he left off last season as he's put together another highly productive campaign.
Beyond becoming the league's all-time leader in 3-pointers made, the Golden State Warriors star guard remains the key piece to the franchise's NBA title hopes. Curry missed the last several weeks of the regular season due to an ankle injury, but that shouldn't cast a shadow on his performance.
The two-time league MVP averaged 25.5 points on 43.7% shooting from the floor and 38.0% from beyond the arc. His shooting numbers are lower than his norm, but he's still one of the game's top talents.
Cury firmly holds the reputation as arguably the greatest shooter in league history, which will remain the case. Beyond that, he has plenty of highly productive seasons ahead.
