Bucks Zone

Stephen Curry names Jrue Holiday amongst the toughest defenders he’s played against

Jrue Holiday had held Stephen Curry to just eight points in one of their meetings.

Matthew Dugandzic

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From hitting long three-point bombs, and knocking down mid-range jumpers to converting layups, putting the basket in the hoop is something that Stephen Curry can do with ease, even against the league’s toughest defenders.

But as the explosive scorer he is, the two-time NBA scoring champion admits that there are certain players who make his life miserable offensively.

“Curry stoppers”

Curry named the toughest defenders that he has ever played against, and that included the Milwaukee Bucks’ seasoned guard Jrue Holiday.

During an interview on the TODAY Show, Curry named Holiday and former NBA players Tony Allen and Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) as the players who made it extra difficult for him to score points.

“There’s a group of three that always ... the lightbulb went off when they were on the court. It’s Jrue Holiday, Tony Allen, and Ron Artest, actually,” Curry said.

Curry named the trio in his list for a reason, as all of them have made it to the NBA All-Defensive Team multiple times.

Artest, who played 19 seasons in the NBA, is the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year that made it twice to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and is also a two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team member. 

Steph also praised the former 14-year NBA veteran Allen that made it to the All-Defensive Team thrice and also made it to the All-Defensive Team three times.

Putting the cuffs on Chef Curry

As a 14-year NBA veteran, Holiday has made it to the All-Defensive First Team three times, and twice to the All-Defensive Second Team. According to StatMuse, Curry has averaged 26.4 points in the 23 games versus Holiday in his career.

The best defensive game that Holiday had against Curry was on March 12, 2020, when he limited the former MVP to just eight points in 33 minutes of play. In that game, Holiday limited Curry to just 11 shots and forced him to commit four turnovers. Curry, however, still had the last laugh in that match as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Bucks, 122-109. 

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.