Former Celtics Star Makes Wild Claim Regarding Warriors' Steph Curry

Does the Boston champ have a point?

Jan 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball in front of Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Former longtime Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, a starter on the 2008 champs, has emerged as an ESPN staple post-retirement, in large part due to his hot takes.

He had a wild one on Friday, in response to the NBA's fully announced 2025 All-Star teams. Perkins posited that 36-year-old Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, named a starter this season (and to his 11th All-Star team overall), was not worthy of making the cut over several neglected other backcourt talents just in the Western Conference.

Kendrick Perkins says Steph Curry didn’t deserve to be an All-Star

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24) pic.twitter.com/H5nLZN84eg

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2025

"I look at a guy like Steph Curry making the All-Star team this season, and I look at a lot of guys like [Dallas Mavericks guard] Kyrie Irving, [Phoenix Suns shooting guard] Devin Booker, [Sacramento Kings point guard] De'Aaron Fox, just in this conference who had better seasons than [or] are playing better than him," Perkins said. "Look, I'm gonna say the quiet part out loud: Steph Curry should not be an All-Star. He shouldn't."

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This season, the two-time league MVP has taken a step back as a scorer. His 22.3 points per game (albeit on an elite .442/.405/.935 slash line) represents his lowest scoring average over the course of a full season since 2011-12. He averaged just 20.8 points a night in 2019-20, but he also only lasted five games before incurring a season-ending hand injury.

Curry is the best player on Golden State still, even in his relative NBA dotage. But at 24-23 in the crowded Western Conference, his Warriors are just the No. 11 seed, and thus in danger of missing even the play-in tournament. Irving, Booker and Fox are all enjoying more prolific showings on teams having better seasons.

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But given Curry's still-solid output, combined with his popularity around the league — and the fact that All-Star weekend will take place on his home floor, Chase Center — he was never missing out on making the cut, even over these other worthy players.

"No matter what the fans want, no matter what the coaches want, no matter what we want, who we want to see, you have to earn to be an All-Star, by your production," Perkins opined. "And if you're looking at the production around the league, it's guys in the Western Conference that have better numbers than Steph, and their teams are in better positions than Steph. So, what, am I lying?"

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