Would Another NBA Title Mean More to Stephen Curry's or LeBron James' Legacy?

Wild as this is, 37-year-old Stephen Curry and 40-year-old LeBron James are both still top 15-20 players in the NBA. Right now, there's a strong chance they will meet in the 4-5 matchup in the playoffs. On Thursday, they'll give us a preview of that potential matchup.

And perhaps wildest of all, they are both on title contenders that got significantly more dangerous at the trade deadline.

With Jimmy Butler joining Curry and Luka Dončić joining LeBron, each has a chance to add a fifth title to an already stellar resume. And that got us thinking: Whose legacy would get the bigger boost with one more ring?

Bleacher Report's NBA experts weighed in below.

Steph Can 'Cement His Top-10 Candidacy'

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For me, this question boils down to whether LeBron James or Stephen Curry has more wiggle room to strengthen their overall legacy—mainly their standing relative to all-time greats. That means Steph has to be the answer.

LeBron is either the greatest or second-greatest player of all time. If you don't have him above Michael Jordan now, a fifth ring probably won't change that. So much of James' legacy boils down to the mythologization of MJ's infallibility and, of course, those six championships. 

Steph, meanwhile, does not have a consensus range in the greatest-of-all-time discourse. Is he in the top 10? Top 15? Top 25? The range of answers will vary, perhaps starkly. 

Unlike LeBron, skeptics also get to play the "Steph wasn't even the best player on all of his championship teams" card. That stance requires more nuance than it's generally presented with—Finals MVPs are not end-alls, for starters—but it exists. And it is most poignant for those 2017 and 2018 titles. 

There was no making that claim in 2022. There should be no making it, in hindsight, for 2015, either. And it has no chance of flying should the Golden State Warriors rack up their fifth ring of the Steph era. This is the title that can cement his top-10 candidacy while more frequently foisting him into the top-five/Tim Duncan tier of all-time greats.

Verdict: Steph

—Dan Favale

LeBron Can Still Catch the GOAT's Ghost

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LeBron James and Stephen Curry both have a chance to win a fifth NBA title this June, although getting a fifth would matter far more to the older of the two.

A fifth would greatly strengthen Curry's case as a top-10 player of all time, but James is looking to solidify himself as the best player in the history of the sport.

Simply put, the only way he gets there is with championships.

James has already topped Michael Jordan as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He holds the record for most All-Star Games (21 compared to Jordan's 14), All-NBA first-team appearances (13 to 10) and total All-NBA teams (20 to 11).

The four-time MVP will almost certainly add to these lists over the next few years as well, considering he's showing no signs of slowing down even at age 40. 

Jordan will always be the GOAT to some, although if James gets a fifth ring, he'll sit just one title behind the Chicago Bulls legend.

Considering all of his other records, there's still time for James to lift himself to the top of the NBA pedestal. That starts with another championship this June.

Verdict: LeBron

—Greg Swartz

Steph's 'Very Real Chance' to Elevate His Legacy

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In my mind, there isn’t even a debate here. Sure, it would be mesmerizing to see LeBron lead a title run after his 40th birthday, but his legacy is set already. Most NBA observers consider him a top-two talent of all time, and for those who haven't put him in the No. 1 spot yet, another championship charge isn't changing that.

Things are different for Steph.

While he is routinely (and rightfully) credited as history's best shooter, legacy talk around him tends to focus more on his astronomic impact on the sport rather than his placement on the pantheon. Whether it's his lack of size, his less-than-elite stopping skills or the "no one plays defense anymore" critiques from the most hard-headed old heads, his playing career isn't held in the same regard that his accolades and accomplishments say it should be.

That may never change for some, but others might give him a legitimate lift if he adds a fifth championship (and very possibly second Finals MVP) to his collection.

He's already a two-time MVP (and the league's lone unanimous winner), two-time scoring champ, 50/40/90 club member and four-time champion (twice as his team's unquestioned top player, twice in a 1A-1B tandem with Kevin Durant).

That's a staggering body of work, and yet it hasn't locked him into top-10 all-time status. When The Athletic set its top-75 historic rankings in 2022, Curry only checked in at 15th. When HoopsHype dropped its GOAT rankings last August, he was again denied entry into the top 10 (13th). Whether he deserves top-10 repute might be a debate worth having a different day, but that's not the question here.

If we're talking about elevating a legacy, Steph has a real chance to do that, and there just isn't the same possibility for James, who's too close to the apex to climb much (any?) higher.

Verdict: Steph

—Zach Buckley

Would 5 Titles Sway the MJ Crowd?

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It may seem unfair, but even if LeBron gets that fifth ring, most of the fans and analysts in the "Michael Jordan is the GOAT" camp will still quickly point to his six championships and his 6-0 record in the Finals. The latter accomplishment isn't even a possibility for James.

Whether he has four titles or five, LeBron is pretty much locked in that MJ-or-LeBron debate for the top spot.

Curry, on the other hand, still has plenty of players to leap on the hypothetical all-time ladder.

There's already an argument to have perhaps the biggest game-changer (look at three-point attempt rates before Steph joined the NBA if you're struggling with this one) and greatest shooter of all time above Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. And if he wins one more title, those arguments will be easier to make (each of the above has five).

A third title without Kevin Durant and a fifth overall would also add more evidence to Steph's "face of his era" case.

His only real competition there is LeBron, who he can surpass in rings this season (while also holding a 3-1 record against him in Finals series).

Vedict: Steph

—Andy Bailey

Curry Could Evolve from 'GOAT Shooter to GOAT Contender'

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LeBron James' legacy is already written. Another championship would tie him with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Earvin "Magic" Johnson, eliminating one of the "yeah, but" arguments against his GOAT case. But James' longevity, still playing at an elite level at age 40 as the league's all-time leading scorer, may be enough to cement what is already an incredible all-time career.

 Stephen Curry, however, is still building his case for being the GOAT. The question of the greatest shooter in NBA history isn't a debate. He has lapped the field, including players like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller—excellent, but not in the Curry stratosphere. His gold-medal performance in the Paris Olympics gave him another notch on the belt for all-time great, but his NBA resume would benefit more than James with another title.

 Is it fair that Curry is slightly lower on the list because his Golden State Warriors, after winning 73 games and losing the 2016 NBA Finals to James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, added the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant to reel off two straight championships? The 2021-22 title, following Durant's departure, helped re-solidify Curry's legacy as the best player on the best team in the NBA (initially established by the 2014-15 championship). One more ring would elevate Curry beyond GOAT shooter to actual GOAT contender.

Verdict: Steph

—Eric Pincus

LeBron's Legacy 'Already Set In Stone'

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Because Steph has more rungs to climb on the all-time ladder of NBA greats than LeBron, who's basically already in everyone's top two, a fifth championship would mean more to the Golden State Warriors superstar.

A fifth ring would put him on par with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson, who also have five titles. Your mileage may vary, but not everyone has Steph slotted above those guys in the pantheon.

If he could reach the five-title club, his pair of MVPs (don't forget that unanimous one in 2015-16), sport-altering shooting and one-team career could give him an edge on that class of undeniable greats. 

Not only that, but another ring would give Curry two in the post-Kevin Durant version of his career. Everyone who really paid attention to those KD-era Dubs knows it was Steph who made the whole thing work, but another post-Durant chip would force the rest of the casual-viewing public to acknowledge that truth.

Contrast that with James, whose hypothetical fifth title might more accurately be remembered as Luka Dončić's first.

James' legacy is already set in stone. Curry's could still be improved.

Verdict: Steph

—Grant Hughes