NBA Legend Picks Steph Curry Over Pistons Great in All-Time Debate

Charles Barkley takes a Golden State star over a Detroit legend.

Nov 6, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) moves the ball / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

To this day, Isiah Thomas is one of the greatest players to ever put on a Detroit Pistons uniform. Despite having played against him for years, Charles Barkley recently picked a current star over him in a specific guard debate.

While on the Dan Patrick Show, Barkley said a lot of nice things about the Pistons legend. However, he feels Steph Curry has surpassed Thomas as the greatest little guard to ever play the game.

“He’s the best little man ever, until Steph Curry,” Barkley said. “He never probably got the credit or respect that he deserved.”

Despite saying Curry has surpassed Thomas in this regard, Barkley admitted he’d go with Thomas over the Golden State Warriors guard in a must-win situation.

“I’ll be honest with you. If I was in a game, if I had to choose,” he continued. “I’d probably go with Isiah in a scenario…If I had one guy, I’m never gonna choose against Isiah.”

Thomas was drafted second overall by the Pistons back in 1981, and he went on to play his entire career in Detroit. Over a span of 13 seasons, he’d average 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 9.3 APG. Some of Thomas’ accolades include being a 12-time All-Star, two-time champion, and one-time Finals MVP.

During his time with the Pistons, Thomas is most known for being the face of the “Bad Boys” teams of the late 1980s. While their style of play was widely criticized, it resulted in back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

Thomas decided to retire as a player following the 1994 season. He’d later go on to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. Since his playing days ended, Thomas has spent time as a coach, general manager, and TV analyst.