The 2010s have seen many superstars leave their mark in the NBA. Kobe Bryant won his fifth and final title in 2010 and left with a bang, giving hoop fans around the world something to remember him by with a 60-point explosion in his very last game.
Shifty guard James Harden also enthralled everyone with his scoring chops, becoming a one-man wrecking crew during his time with the Houston Rockets and winning the league MVP in 2018.
Then, of course, there was LeBron James , who won four championships in this era and set the bar of excellence for all future superstars to follow. Despite the depth of talent in the 2010s, Hall of Famer and popular media personality Kevin Garnett is convinced there's only one who stands head and shoulders above the rest.
That man is Stephen Curry .
Discussing who the "Greatest of All Time" is almost always a multi-layered discussion that elicits a lot of strong opinions from players, past and present, fans and pundits. And as far as these conversations go, two names are often at the forefront: LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
However, in recent years, a third name has entered the GOAT conversation out of nowhere: Stephen Curry . And for good reason.
Curry's impact on the game of basketball in the 2010s is undeniable. He revolutionized the way the game is played with his otherworldly shooting ability from beyond the arc, which has forced defenses to extend way beyond their comfort zone and influenced offenses to shoot the three-ball now more than ever.
Seeing all this unfold before his eyes has been enough for the Big Ticket to proclaim the Golden State megastar the undisputed GOAT of this era.
"I've said this countless times. I think that we're in the Curry era. He is the GOAT of this era," Garnett said on "The Ticket and The Truth" podcast.
"When we talk about the long ball and the three-ball, you got to talk about the messiah of that long ball, you understand, and that's how I look at it," he continued.
While a glance at Curry's numbers and accolades is enough to convince anyone of his place as one of the greatest players in NBA history, one also has to look at the impact Curry has had on the game itself.
During the 2013-14 season, which was the season before the Warriors won the title and began their decade of dominance, no team attempted close to 30 triples; the Rockets led the league at 26.5 attempts per game. Fast forward to this season, and every NBA team is shooting at least 30 treys a game, which is a testament to Curry's influence.
With the NBA's old guard of Curry, James and Kevin Durant now in the twilight of their careers, many wonder who will grab the torch and carry the league into the future. Garnett stressed that he's not the least bit worried about that. With established All-Stars like reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic dominating the league and the likes of Amen Thompson , Austin Reaves and Cade Cunningham emerging as future stars, Garnett believes the league is in good hands for years to come.
"So in this era right here, I'm watching [the Thompson] twins, those twins, [Amen and Ausar], we didn't see them come out of no … you know what I'm saying. We got stars that are just blossoming out of this league. Look at Cade Cunningham. Cade Cunningham, [the Detroit Pistons] are the number one team in the East," Garnett conveyed.
"We're gonna look at [Jayson] Tatum. We're gonna look at [Jaylen] Brown. We're gonna look at all these certified superstars, and we got all these young hungry wolves just, man, bro, the league is gonna be in a really good place, bro," he emphasized.
Many NBA stars are screaming they've got next. However, nobody should discount savvy veterans like Curry, who are still playing at an elite level and providing profound reminders of their hoops greatness.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
