Stephen Curry vs. LeBron James: Who Is the Best?

The NBA Finals are quickly approaching us, and we all got what we all wanted: Stephen Curry's Warriors versus LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two top players in the association are squaring off against one another, but whose team has the advantage?

First and foremost, let's make one thing clear because we all know where this conversation will eventually lead to: LeBron James is not anywhere close to Michael Jordan in greatness. I have no idea how this always gets brought up, but we'll go ahead and nip it in the bud before it gets started. As a basketball player, LeBron's definitely on the same skill level. But as far as "greatness?" Nowhere close.

Anywho...

Curry is the reigning NBA MVP. He is a match-up nightmare for any guard on planet Earth. Oh, and he is the best shooter of all time. There. Someone had to say it, so it may as well be me.

His silky smooth game is absolutely magical. We've all seen great spot up shooters, and we've all seen players who can fire off threes from the dribble. But what makes Curry so good, and upstoppable, is his ability to do both exceptionally well. He shot 44.3% from beyond the arc during the regular season, but has stooped to a terrible 43.7% in the playoffs.

I'm being facetious folks, calm down, I know that's still ridiculously good.

Also, let me put his ability in another perspective: the guy averaged 1.42 points per shot.

Let that sink in for a bit.

In other words, on average, if he were to take 100 shots over the course of three games, he would score 142 points in those three games (more than 27 points per game).

Silly, I know.

Curry also plays point guard, meaning he literally touches the ball on almost every possession. His primary responsibility is to distribute the ball to the scorers on the court. However, he is the primary scorer. So one would think that he would be selfish and take any shot that's available, right?

The dude averages 7.7 assists per game, good enough for sixth in the NBA.

Enough said. Curry is unbelievable.

Speaking of unbelievable...

LeBron James is making his sixth appearance in the NBA Finals, and he's just four wins away from winning his third championship ring.

Yes, I know Jordan won six.

James is a freak of nature, plain and simple. At 6'8" and 250 lbs, there's nobody that can guard him. He's way too big for any guards, plus he's just too athletic and quick for post players to defend him. Not to mention that he has the ability to shoot the outside shot, knocking down 35.4% of his three point attempts this season.

In other words, he will shoot over any guards on the perimeter, and take any post player to the rim. He's one of the few players on the planet (aside from Curry) that demands a double team.

But you can't double team the man, because his fellow point guard, Kyrie Irving, even as banged up as he is, requires your undivided attention.

In short, you ain't stopping LeBron.

Which of these two will take home some shiny new hardware this season? Only time will tell. But I will tell you this much: this will be a series for the ages. Two juggernaut players square off against each other, and LeBron may even guard Curry from time to time.

Get ready, because it's going to be a fun ride.