I often read “what if” stories about Steph Curry playing with the likes of LeBron, Jokic, or Giannis and people talk about how unstoppable that duo would be. Aside from Shaq, Curry is usually the player I read about when it comes to dominant “what if” duos with another superstar. Does that mean that Curry (at least after the three-point line was added) is the easiest superstar to pair with other stars?
It kinda makes sense because he is great on and off the ball and has the greatest gravitational pull in NBA history. I can’t think of any other superstar in league history who wouldn’t win multiple titles if paired with Curry.
Pair him with Magic, easy 15 assists a night for Johnson. Pair him with Kobe or MJ, no double teams for Bryant or Jordan. Give him a superstar center from the 80s or 90s, defenders have to pick who to double.
So with Lebron, I can point you to 4 chips he's won with 3 different teams. He was playing with different stars who all had different skillsets.
With Curry, he's won 4 chips with the same team and the same core. You're right that his off ball skills are versatile, but whether it would translate to winning in a different environment is entirely hypothetical.