For the last decade, the Golden State Warriors, and specifically Stephen Curry, have had a proverbial target on their back from NBA fans and teams across the world. The dynasty began in 2015 with the emergence of Curry as MVP as he led the Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975. Since then, Curry has changed the game by becoming the greatest three-point shooter the game has ever seen and one of the game's greatest point guards ever as well. Nobody likes to see the same team win over and over again, but when you have a weapon such as Curry, that team becomes incredibly difficult to dethrone.
Just like any other player in NBA history, there have been some bumps along the way for Curry that still sting to this day. There have also been specific teams and players who have had his number during that time, even if Curry wound up having the last laugh and becoming the greatest player in Warriors' history. Just as we have with stars such as LeBron James, we are going to list the players with the 20 best win percentages against Curry in his career and dive into the context surrounding those overall records. We will see a lot from Curry's younger days in the NBA as well as some players who have had his number as of late. Some names may surprise you and some you may recognize benefited from being on an incredible team rather than their personal contributions.
These are the 20 NBA players with the highest career winning percentage against Stephen Curry.
Rule: Players must have played at least 15 games against Stephen Curry to qualify for this list.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 15-12
You may remember Boris Diaw as a key role player during the 2000s and early 2010s with both the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Bobcats. Diaw was a 14-year veteran of the NBA who spent time with the Hawks, Suns, Bobcats, Spurs, and Jazz during those years. For his career, he averaged 8.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG but was a reliable and durable overall player during his peak and a veteran every coach wished they had.
Diaw and Curry met in the regular season 17 times during their careers, where Diaw had the advantage with an 11-6 record. Diaw only saw 11 starts during those games and averaged just 8.1 PPG and 4.3 RPG. During the playoffs, they met in two different series while Diaw played for two different franchises. In 2013, Diaw and the Spurs defeated Curry's Warriors in six games as they advanced to the NBA Finals. In 2016, Curry's Warriors would sweep the Utah Jazz with Diaw in the final season of his career. Curry averaged just over 23.0 PPG between the regular season and playoffs against Diaw and shot just under 40.0% from beyond the arc.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-7
Aaron Brooks was a 10-year point guard in the NBA, well-known for his days with the Houston Rockets from 200 thru 2011. For the first two seasons of his career in Houston, Brooks came off the bench and did a decent job for a contending Houston team in the Western Conference. In 2010, Brooks finally earned the starting job with Houston and would go on to become the NBA's Most Improved Player averaging 19.6 PPG and 5.3 APG in 82 starts that season. From there, and for some odd reason, Brooks was never the same and would end up bouncing to seven different locations over the next eight seasons, including China for the 2011-12 season.
All 16 of Stephen Curry and Aaron Brooks' matchups came during the regular season between the years 2009 and 2014. Each player would make all 16 starts for their respective teams, with Curry turning in the better numbers with Brooks' teams winning two more games. Curry averaged 20.0 PPG and 7.2 APG in those 16 games, while Brooks gave 10.3 PPG and 3.8 APG in their matchups.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-7
Glen "Big Baby" Davis played eight seasons in the NBA with the Celtics, Magic, and Clippers. He won an NBA championship as a rookie with Boston, appearing in 69 games off the bench during the regular season and 17 games in the same role during the playoffs. Davis was known much more for his personality and rift with Kevin Garnett than his play on the court. He averaged 8.0 PPG and 4.4 RPG for his career and had his best season with the Celtics in 2011, when he averaged 11.7 PPG in 78 games.
Davis and Curry met none times during the regular season, in which Davis' teams helped a 5-4 record against Curry from 2009 thru 2015. They met once during the NBA playoffs in 2014 when Davis was with the Clippers toward the end of his career. The Clippers would defeat the Warriors in seven games, with Curry averaging 23.0 PPG, 8.4 APG, and 1.7 SPG. Davis saw just 11.1 minutes per game in that series and averaged 2.6 PPG.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-7
Ron Artest, aka Metta World Peace, is one of the great yet tragic stories in NBA history. Artest was one of the best perimeter defenders of the 2000s and 2010s with his tough and physical nature to go along with his high basketball IQ and speed. In 2004, while with the Pacers, Artest was named an All-Star for the only time in his career while bringing home a Defensive Player of the Year award that very season as well. He was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Team four times and won an NBA championship in 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Artest and Curry would have all of their 16 meetings during the regular season from 2009 thru 2017. Artest would make eight starts and averaged 7.4 PPG and 1.0 SPG in those contests. Curry averaged 21.6 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 1.7 SPG himself. Curry's best performance against Artest came in a 2013 matchup between the Warriors and Lakers. Curry dropped 47 points on 17-31 shooting overall and 9-15 from three in that game and had just one other career game with over 30 points against him.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 12-9
Nowadays, you can catch Kendrick Perkins most days delivering wild and crazy takes on ESPN as an analyst. Before that, Perkins was a 15-year veteran in the NBA with the Celtics, Thunder, Pelicans, and Cavaliers. Perkins spent eight seasons with Boston from 2004 thru 2011 and helped them win the 2008 NBA championship as their starting center. He averaged 6.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 1.4 BPG in his career with the Celtics and 4.2 PPG and 5.9 RPG in his five seasons with the Thunder.
Perkins and Curry had 20 of their 21 meetings during the regular season between 2009 and 2016. Perkins would make 14 starts in those games averaging 4.6 PPG and 5.7 RPG. Curry made a much bigger impact on his team with 24.0 PPG, 6.6 APG, and 2.1 SPG. The only time these two met during the playoffs was in the 2015 NBA Finals, in which Golden State captured their first NBA championship since 1975. Perkins saw just three minutes of play, while Curry was robbed of Finals MVP honors in lieu of Andre Iguodala.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 19-14
The things that Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry accomplished on the court together as teammates from 2017 thru 2019 were special. The duo led the Warriors to back-to-back NBA championships in 2017 and 2018 as one of the most prolific scoring duos in NBA history. As opponents, things have gone Durant's way for the most part, although Curry has had the upper hand when it matters most.
Of their 33 meetings in their careers, Durant and his teams have a 16-10 record against Curry during the regular season. Durant averaged 30.5 PPG on 50.7% shooting during those meetings, while Curry averaged 25.5 PPG on 57.1% shooting. Their only playoff meeting came during the 2016 Western Conference Finals, in which Durant's Thunder would blow a 3-1 lead to Curry's Warriors. Curry was able to put them away in Game 7 with 36 points on 7-12 shooting from downtown and 13-24 shooting overall. The series win for Golden State ended up becoming the catalyst for Durant joining them that summer in free agency.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 11-8
Unless you are a diehard fan of the Kansas Jayhawks or Oklahoma City Thunder, chances are your memory of Nick Collison is a bit foggy. Collison was the 12th overall pick of the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2004 NBA Draft and would spend his entire 14-year career with the organization as they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Collison spent the majority of his career coming off the bench and averaged 5.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG in those 14 seasons.
Collison and Curry met 18 times during the regular season and just once during the 2016 NBA playoffs in the Western Conference Finals. Collison made just one start against Curry's Warriors and averaged a measly 3.3 PPG along with 5.0 RPG. Curry recorded three different games with at least 30 points against Collison and averaged 21.7 PPG in their 18 regular season meetings. In the 2016 playoffs, Collison played just 6.2 minutes the entire series while Curry and the Warriors rallied to advance to the NBA Finals.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-6
Gary Neal is another player on this list who is not a household name to most fans. Neal played just seven seasons in the NBA from 2011 thru 2017 and made appearances with the Spurs, Bucks, Bobcats, Timberwolves, Wizards, and Hawks. Neal was a career 9.9 PPG scorer who shot 38.2% from three for his career and averaged 11.8 PPG in his best seasons.
Neal and Curry met nine times during the regular season in their careers, with Neal's teams holding a slim 5-4 margin over Curry. Neal came off the bench in all nine of those games and averaged 9.1 PPG. The only time they met in the NBA playoffs was in 2013 when Neal was with San Antonio. The Spurs would defeat the Warriors in six games, with Neal coming off the bench all six games and averaging just 4.7 PPG. Curry made six starts in the series and averaged 22.5 PPG, but it was not enough, as the Spurs would go on to advance to the NBA Finals but fall to the Miami Heat.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-6
Chuck Hayes was an 11-year veteran of the NBA after going undrafted out of college, where he played at the University of Kentucky. Hayes was quite the Curious case in the NBA as he stood just 6'6'' tall and mostly played in the frontcourt at the power forward and center positions. Hayes Averaged just 3.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG for his career, which he spent with the Rockets, Kings, and Raptors.
Hayes and Curry's "rivalry" would never play any games outside of the regular season as all 15 of their contests came in such games. For Hayes, playing time was a bit limited during these contests, but he managed to average 5.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Curry, having played most of these games before he was the Curry we know now, averaged 17.9 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 2.1 SPG in these contests.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-6
The rise and fall of OJ Mayo in the NBA is one of the strangest career stories in NBA history. Mayo was a top high school player before declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft and was selected third overall that same season. Mayo would play just eight seasons in the NBA with the Bucks, Mavericks, and Grizzlies from 2009 thru 2016, averaging 13.8 PPG over the course of his career. In 2015-16, Mayo would be hit with the longest suspension in NBA history and hasn't played basketball since.
All 15 of Curry and Mayo's matchups against one another came during the regular season between 2009 and 2015. Mayo made seven starts and averaged 16.2 PPG and 1.5 SPG in those contests, while Curry was a starter and averaged 20.3 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 1.4 SPG. Mayo's best game was a 27-point performance while he was with Dallas in 2012, while Curry had three games with 30 points or more and seven games with at least 25 points as well.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 9-6
The matchups between Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry are ones that every NBA fan wishes came during both players' prime. Bryant was the ultimate competitor, and there is no doubt that he would attempt to take on the defensive assignment of stopping Curry if he was at his very best. Peak Kobe going up against peak Curry would have been some of the greatest shootouts and intense battles we had ever seen on the court if only Father Time would have agreed.
Bryant and Curry were never able to meet in the NBA playoffs, as the Lakers and Warriors' runs as contenders did not coincide with each other. In their 15 regular season meetings, Kobe was the driving force behind his winning record with 26.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.6 SPG. As for Curry, he held his own with 22.9 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG. Kobe has two separate 44-point games in his career against Curry, while Stephen had the highest-scoring affair between the two with 47 points in a loss in 2013.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 10-6
Danny Granger is one of the many forgotten stars that have played in the NBA. Granger's forgotten run in the league is mostly due to an abnormally short peak that saw him make one All-Star appearance and have three consecutive 20.0 PPG or more seasons. Granger's career would last nine seasons from 2006 thru 2014 as he played for the Pacers, Clippers, and Heat.
Curry and Granger would meet early on in Curry's career during Granger's peak with the Pacers during the regular season. Both players would average 18.1 PPG in those matchups and Granger added 6.6 RPG as well as 1.1 SPG. In the NBA playoffs, the two would meet in one series toward the end of Granger's NBA career in 2014 with the Clippers. Los Angeles would win the series as Granger was a non-existent factor in the series, with Curry averaging 23.0 PPG.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 10-6
For the better part of the last decade, Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala have shared the court together as teammates with the Golden State Warriors. In one capacity or another, Iguodala has been a part of all four NBA championship teams that the Warriors have won since 2015, including a Finals MVP performance in 2015. Iguodala and Curry were once adversaries on the court as well, with Iguodala's teams taking a 10-6 advantage in those matchups.
In the regular season, Iguodala and his teams hold an 8-2 advantage over Curry. Iguodala averaged 16.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 4.9 APG, and 1.9 SPG in those contests, which mostly came during Iguodala's days in Philadelphia and Denver. The two met in the NBA playoffs once before as well, when the Warriors took on Iguodala's Nuggets in the 2013 playoffs. Iguodala averaged 18.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 2.0 SPG in the series, but Curry and company walked away with a 4-2 series win as Curry delivered 24.3 PPG, 9.3 APG, and 2.2 SPG.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 17-10
Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs are going to appear a ton over the remainder of this list so readers beware. Parker was a fearless point guard who is still so underrated and underappreciated to this day. He was one of the leaders of the Spurs dynasty and showed a fearless and insatiable appetite to both lead and win. Parker is a four-time NBA champion with a Finals MVP in 2007, along with six All-Star appearances and four selections to the All-NBA Team.
Parker and Curry met 21 times during the regular season in their careers, with Parker and the Spurs holding a 13-8 advantage. Parker averaged 13.0 PPG and 5.9 APG in those games while making 19 starts. These two all-time great point guards would also meet once in the NBA playoffs in 2013. Parker and the Spurs would win that series as well as they went on to win the NBA championship. What made 2013 so special for Parker is that he led the Spurs to a title without the aid of another All-Star teammate, something that has been a rare occurrence in the NBA throughout history.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 12-7
Thabo Sefolosha is not a name that many will remember for his offensive prowess or scoring ability. Sefolosha was more of a defensive addition to any roster he was a part of, which included the Bulls, Thunder, Hawks, Jazz, and Rockets. In 2010 with the Rockets, he earned the only All-Defensive Team selection of his career, which spanned 14 seasons from 2007 thru 2020. Sefolosha averaged 5.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.1. SPG for his career but somehow earned a winning record over Curry in their matchups.
Most of Curry's losses to Sefolosha came when Curry was still coming into his own, and Sefolosha was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, a consistent contender at the time. The two met 21 times during the regular season, with Sefolosha starting 16 games and averaging 6.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.1 SPG. Curry was a different animal during these games, with 25.9 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 1.8 SPG. Curry went for at least 30 points in seven of these contests and Sefolosha's career-high against Curry happened to be just 14 points in a win in 2010.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 21-12
Over the last decade, the case can be made that Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry are both in the top 5 players of this generation. Leonard is a former two-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP, which includes the 2019 series in which Leonard's Raptors defeated Curry's Warriors. As one of the best two-way forwards in history, Leonard has made his mark on NBA history forever, even if load management and injuries have marred his image as of late.
In their 20 regular season meetings, Kawhi has held a 13-7 advantage over Curry and the Warriors, with Leonard averaging 19.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.7 SPG. Curry did his best to combat Leonard's attack with 24.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 1.8 SPG.
Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry have met three times in the NBA playoffs so far. In 2013, Curry and the Warriors fell to the Spurs in six games. In 2017, they met for one game before Leonard was injured by Zaza Pachulia and the Spurs were eliminated by the Warriors as they went on to win an NBA championship. Of course, the final time they met was at the 2019 Finals, where Leonard led the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 11-6
DeJuan Blair was a seven-year veteran of the NBA after being a second-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs in 2009. Blair spent four of his seven seasons with the Spurs, where he made 166 starts and averaged 7.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG. He then spent one season in Dallas and two seasons with the Wizards before opting to play in China in 2016-17. Blair averaged 6.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG for his career before deciding to play overseas.
In the regular season, Blair and Curry met 13 times, with Blair taking a slim 7-6 advantage in those matchups. Blair made six starts and averaged 8.1 PPG and 6.6 RPG against Curry in his career during the regular season. Curry averaged 19.8 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG. In the playoffs, they have only met in one series, a 2013 six-game battle eventually won by the Spurs over the Warriors in which Blair hardly played.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 14-6
The next two players on this list are two players from the San Antonio Spurs that reaped the benefits of others' efforts. Matt Bonner played 12 seasons in the NBA, 10 of which came with the San Antonio Spurs, where he served as the backup power forward off the bench. Bonner played a small role in two NBA championships for the Spurs in 2007 and 2014, seeing minimal time on the court in both title runs.
As for the regular season, Bonner was a member of Spurs teams who held a 10-4 advantage over Curry's Warriors. Bonner would play in all 14 games but mustered just 4.4 PPG. In the playoffs, they met in one series during 2013, which was a 4-2 series win in favor of the Spurs. Bonner was once again a non-factor, as he saw just 9.6 minutes of play and averaged 2.0 PPG.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 12-5
Tiago Splitter was a first-round pick by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007 out of Brazil. The 6'11 big man would spend seven seasons in the NBA, but his first five with the Spurs, winning an NBA championship in 2014. Splitter's best season with the team came in 2013, with the Spurs averaging 10.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG in 81 games played.
Splitter and Curry met 12 times during the regular season during their careers, with the Spurs taking a 9-3 advantage in those games. Splitter averaged just 8.4 PPG and 6.8 RPG in those contests, while Curry averaged nearly 20.0 PPG. Splitter also played five of the six games it took the Spurs to take out Golden State with four starts averaging 6.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG in his time on the floor.
Record Against Stephen Curry: 16-5
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are somewhat lucky to have seen Tim Duncan mostly during the decline of his career. Duncan had already established himself as one of the all-time great players by the time he played his first game against Curry in 2009. Duncan would become a five-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, and two-time MVP in his career. In a 1999 lockout season, Duncan would become one of the few players ever to play every game of the regular season and playoffs while winning Final MVP.
The Spurs had a chokehold on the Warriors during the regular season when they finished with a 12-3 record overall in 15 games. Duncan averaged 13.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in those games. In the NBA playoffs, Duncan and Curry only faced off in the 2013 series, mentioned ad nauseam already in this piece. In the six-game series win for the Spurs, Duncan averaged 19.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. In that same series, Curry averaged 22.5 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG.
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