Start, Bench or Cut, Stephen Curry Edition: “I’m cutting the 2016 version”
Which version of Stephen Curry was the best? Andre Iguodala has no doubts: the Curry who won the 2022 NBA championship ranks above even the one who led Golden State to its historic 73-win season
Some basketball scars never fully heal, not even after winning four championships and helping redefine the game. For the Golden State Warriors, aesthetic and statistical perfection will always be measured against the lingering memory of the franchise’s greatest heartbreak: the 2016 NBA Finals.
It was that collective trauma that inspired Andre Iguodala, the longtime sixth man of the dynasty and 2015 Finals MVP, to spark a fascinating and ruthless debate about the different versions of Curry, showing how a single mistake can outweigh an entire record-breaking season.
Appearing on “The Richard Show” with Richard Jefferson, Iguodala took part in the classic “Start-Bench-Cut” game, this time applied to three legendary Curry seasons: 2015, 2016 and 2022. His answer left the studio stunned:
I’m starting the 2022 Steph. I wouldn’t say that was his absolute best version, but I always joke with him about it… and I can only do that because of that left-handed pass
Andre Iguodala
Faced with Jefferson’s bewildered reaction, the reasoning quickly became clear. The infamous left-handed pass Iguodala referenced was Curry’s costly turnover in the closing minutes of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. A mistake that helped swing the championship and ultimately led Iguodala to a dramatic conclusion:
I’m cutting the 2016 version because of that pass against the Cavs. Then I’m benching 2015 and, like I said, starting the 2022 version
Andre Iguodala
Iguodala’s provocation touches a sensitive nerve, favoring championship success over the unmatched brilliance of a record-setting season that ultimately fell short.
The 2022 Stephen Curry, after all, represented the fully matured version of the superstar. Following a season in which Golden State missed the playoffs, Curry led the Warriors to a 53-29 record, then elevated his game in the postseason by averaging 27.4 points per game while shooting 39.7% from three-point range, ultimately capturing his long-awaited first Finals MVP award against Boston.
The placement of the 2015 Curry is also understandable. That season brought the first championship of the Warriors dynasty and the first MVP award of his career, highlighted by a playoff run in which he averaged 28.3 points per game. Yet the true editorial paradox remains the decision to cut the 2016 version.