Stephen A. Smith didn't hesitate when picking between LeBron James and Steph Curry for the best NBA legacy

We all know Michael Jordan is the GOAT when it comes to the NBA, but when looking at current players like LeBron James and Steph Curry, Stephen A. Smith insists only one can even come close to being compared to the legend.

While becoming an NBA Champion is the end goal for any player and their respective team, the idea of making it into the Hall of Fame is something that only a select few basketball icons can even imagine.

Both Steph Curry and LeBron James will long be remembered as two of the greatest players of their generation, perhaps even of all time, but Smith rates one much higher than the other.

On an episode of the First Take podcast, Smith discussed the legacy of the two players and explained why, due to the fact he has moved around so much to find success, James has tarnished his reputation.

"When we talk about how great they were as players — well, LeBron had to go to Miami to get the title. And then LeBron went back to Cleveland to join Kyrie [Irving] and get Kevin Love from Minnesota in order to win in Cleveland. And LeBron had to get [Anthony Davis] to get to LA before he won the title in LA," Smith said.

LeBron celebrates against the Pacers. Image: PA Images

Curry, on the other hand, has remained loyal to the Golden State Warriors throughout his career, and still managed to guide them to four NBA Championship wins.

That, for Smith, says it all. He added: "Jordan stayed. Steph Curry stayed. They built around Jordan, they built around Steph Curry. That wasn’t the case with LeBron and KD.

"So we have to look at those situations differently. We can lump them all into the sentence for a question, but their careers, I’m sorry, the way it’s traveled was different than the three. Some better, some worse than others.

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Both James and Curry have four Championships to their name, but the former has the upper hand when it comes to individual honours, with four NBA Finals MVP awards to Curry's one, and four NBA Most Valuable Player crowns compared to Curry's two.

Still, as Smith insists, perhaps legacy is not solely measured in the amount of awards a player has, but in the manner in which they achieve success. For now, we'll just agree they are both two of the greatest athletes of the 21st century at least.