Jeremiah Smith channels Michael Jordan to solve his Ohio State penalty problem

THE COMPARISON

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has compared Stephen Curry to Michael Jordan.

Kerr made this comparison in a recent interview.

Kerr knows both players intimately.

He won three NBA championships playing alongside Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

He has now coached Stephen Curry for over a decade with the Warriors.

Kerr won four more championships as Curry's coach.

THE QUOTE

"Honestly, it really does remind me of what it was like to play with Michael Jordan back in the day," Kerr said.

"Every single night, you are just amazed, and you marvel at what he's capable of doing no matter what the defense does, but also just the longevity of it."

Kerr did not stop there.

"To see night after night, defenses doing everything possible to slow Steph down as they did with Michael, and yet the love for the game, the competitiveness, the passion, the desire to put on a show for the fans — there's such great comparisons to be made there," Kerr added.

THE CONTEXT

Curry is currently 39 years old.

He is averaging 30.0 points, 4.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds this season.

The Warriors hold a 5-3 record.

Before the season started, many analysts projected Golden State to be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference.

Curry has defied those expectations so far.

Jordan was exactly the same age — 39 — during his final season with the Bulls in 1998.

Jordan led the Bulls to their sixth championship that year.

The team infrastructure around Jordan ensured they were realistic title contenders.

Jordan was the difference-making piece on a championship roster.

THE DIFFERENCE

The Warriors and Curry do not have the same kind of roster today.

Golden State is not considered a title contender this season.

But Kerr, fans and experts all recognize that Curry remains a difference-maker at the same level Jordan was.

The key difference is team context.

Jordan had a roster built to win a title.

Curry does not have that same support right now.

THE LONGEVITY FACTOR

Kerr specifically highlighted Curry's longevity as a Jordan-esque trait.

Curry is past the prime of his career.

His peak years culminated in the 2022 NBA Championship win.

But even at 39, he remains one of the most lethal guard scorers in the NBA.

Defenses design entire game plans around stopping him.

They throw double teams, traps and physical coverage at him every night.

And still, Curry finds ways to score and create for teammates.

Kerr said this relentless effectiveness despite defensive attention is what reminds him most of Jordan.

THE BACKGROUND

Kerr made his name as one of the best shooters in NBA history.

He played alongside Jordan on the Chicago Bulls dynasty.

He won three championships with Jordan from 1996 to 1998.

Over a decade later, Kerr became head coach of the Warriors.

He inherited a young Stephen Curry and built a new dynasty.

The Kerr-Curry partnership produced four NBA titles.

Their prime years together are now in the past.

But the duo is still competing and winning games more than a decade after they started working together.

THE SEASON SO FAR

The Warriors entered the 2026-27 season with modest expectations.

Most analysts projected them as a lottery team or a play-in candidate.

Curry has refused to accept that narrative.

He is scoring at an elite level while carrying a young and developing roster.

His 30-point average puts him among the league leaders in scoring.

He is doing this at an age when most guards have retired or become role players.

THE JORDAN PARALLEL

Jordan averaged 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in his age-39 season.

He won Finals MVP that year.

Curry is matching Jordan's scoring output at the same age.

The comparison goes beyond numbers.

Both players commanded complete defensive attention.

Both players elevated their teams through sheer force of will.

Both players maintained elite performance well past the typical retirement age for guards.

Kerr has witnessed both careers from the closest possible vantage point.

He played with Jordan.

He coaches Curry.

His comparison carries unusual weight because of that dual perspective.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Curry is widely considered the greatest shooter in NBA history.

Jordan is widely considered the greatest player in NBA history.

Kerr's comparison does not claim Curry is better than Jordan.

Instead, Kerr points to a shared trait: the ability to break down any defense built to stop them, regardless of age.