LeBron James is the all-time scoring leader with 40,361 career points and superior all-around playmaking, while Stephen Curry revolutionized basketball as the greatest three-point shooter ever with 3,701 career three-pointers and two MVP awards.
Stephen Curry vs LeBron James — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Four-time NBA champion and all-time leading scorer with 20 consecutive All-Star selections and sustained excellence across three franchises.
Elite point guard and greatest three-point shooter in NBA history
Career Total Points. Three-Point Shooting Prowess. Regular Season MVP Awards. NBA Championships Won. Career Three-Point Percentage. Career Assists. All-Star Selections
LeBron James is the superior all-around player with unmatched longevity, scoring volume, and playmaking (10,452 career assists), making him the GOAT candidate for most analysts. Choose LeBron if you value versatile two-way excellence, sustained dominance across two decades, and complete basketball mastery. Choose Curry if you prioritize shooting efficiency, three-point innovation, and peak offensive impact—he fundamentally changed how basketball is played and remains the deadliest pure shooter in NBA history.
LeBron James: 40,361 | Stephen Curry: 15,701
LeBron James: 10,452 rebounds | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 1,295 | Stephen Curry: 3,701
LeBron James: 27.2 PPG career (through 2026) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 28.3 PPG (2025-26) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 8.5 APG (2025-26) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 8.3 RPG (2025-26) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 MVPs | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 Championships | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 10 Finals appearances | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 Finals MVPs | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 66.7% TS% (2025-26) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 23 seasons (2003-2026) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 6'9" (206cm) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 20 All-Star selections | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 31.4 PPG (2009-10) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 27.2 | Stephen Curry: 23.6
LeBron James: 21 seasons (2003-2024) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 MVPs | Stephen Curry: 2 MVPs
LeBron James: 1 NBA Cup MVP | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 0 titles | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: Guard, Forward, Center (multi-position) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 2003-2026 (modern 3-point era) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 40,361 | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 50.5% | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 272.5 | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 50.2% | Stephen Curry: 47.8%
LeBron James: 1,364 | Stephen Curry: 3,701
LeBron James: 34.4% | Stephen Curry: 42.8%
LeBron James: 50.5% | Stephen Curry: 48.4%
LeBron James: 31.4 (2005-06) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 1 DPOY award | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 40,474 points | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 MVP awards | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 10 selections | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 34.5% | Stephen Curry: 40.8%
LeBron James: 58.7% | Stephen Curry: 64.5%
LeBron James: 6'9" | Stephen Curry: 6'2"
LeBron James: 10 Finals (4 wins) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 40,511 points | Stephen Curry: 16,919
LeBron James: 34.4% | Stephen Curry: 41.4%
LeBron James: 10 | Stephen Curry: 6 Finals
LeBron James: 21 seasons | Stephen Curry: 18 seasons
LeBron James: 40,361 points | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 40,474 | Stephen Curry: 37,304
LeBron James: 40% (4 of 10 Finals) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 1,610 | Stephen Curry: 793 (through 2024-25)
LeBron James: 10,452 | Stephen Curry: 3,930
LeBron James: 19 (of 21) | Stephen Curry: 10 (of 17)
LeBron James: 17.9 (10.5 RPG + 7.4 APG) | Stephen Curry: N/A
How to choose between LeBron James and Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry vs LeBron James — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Stephen Curry vs LeBron James. Contains 82 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Stephen Curry vs LeBron James — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Stephen Curry vs LeBron James.
Who is the better player, LeBron or Curry?
LeBron James is generally considered the better all-around player due to his scoring volume (40,361 points), elite playmaking (10,452 assists), 4 MVP awards, and sustained excellence across 21 seasons. However, Stephen Curry is the superior pure scorer and shooter, with the greatest three-point range in NBA history (3,701 threes at 42.8%). Most analysts rank LeBron in their top 5 all-time, with Curry in the top 15.
Both have won 4 NBA championships. LeBron won with Miami Heat (2012, 2013), Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and Los Angeles Lakers (2020). Curry won all 4 with Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022).
Stephen Curry is decisively the better three-point shooter. He has made 3,701 career three-pointers at 42.8% efficiency—1,795 more makes than any other player and nearly double LeBron's 1,916 makes. Curry redefined basketball by making three-point shooting a primary offensive weapon.
LeBron James is the superior playmaker with 10,452 career assists compared to Curry's 3,548. LeBron operated as a primary facilitator for most of his career, while Curry's role was primarily scoring. LeBron's assist numbers rank him among the top playmakers in NBA history.
Why did Curry change basketball more than LeBron?
While LeBron dominated through versatility, Curry fundamentally transformed NBA strategy by proving the three-point shot could be a primary offensive weapon. Teams have since modeled offenses around elite three-point shooting. Curry shot nearly 15 threes per game in the 2016 season (making 5+ per game), normalizing volume three-point attempts league-wide. This shift changed player development, team construction, and game strategy across the entire NBA.
How to Choose Between LeBron James and Stephen Curry
Career Total Points: LeBron James has 40,361 points, while Stephen Curry has 37,304 points.
Three-Point Shooting Prowess: LeBron James has 3,701 made three-pointers (all-time leader), while Stephen Curry has 1,916 made three-pointers.
Regular Season MVP Awards: LeBron James has 4 MVPs (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), while Stephen Curry has 2 MVPs (2015, 2016).
NBA Championships Won: LeBron James has 4 titles (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022), while Stephen Curry has 4 titles (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020).
Career Three-Point Percentage: LeBron James has 42.8%, while Stephen Curry has 34.5%.
Career Assists: LeBron James has 3,548 assists, while Stephen Curry has 10,452 assists.
All-Star Selections: LeBron James has 10 All-Star selections (2014-2019, 2021-2023), while Stephen Curry has 19 All-Star selections (2004-2018, 2020).