LeBron James is the all-time NBA scoring leader with 40,361 points and plays both ends of the floor as a forward, while Stephen Curry is the greatest three-point shooter ever with 3,701 made threes and revolutionized offensive spacing as a point guard.
Stephen Curry vs LeBron James — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
All-time great forward who won 4 NBA championships across three teams while maintaining elite performance for 21 seasons.
Greatest three-point shooter in NBA history and two-time MVP who revolutionized basketball spacing.
All-Time Scoring. Three-Point Makes (Career). NBA Championships. MVP Awards. Finals MVP Awards. All-Star Selections. Career Three-Point Percentage
LeBron James is the more complete all-around player with superior longevity, scoring volume, and defensive versatility across 21 seasons, making him the greater overall player by traditional measures. Stephen Curry is the superior shooter and offensive innovator who changed basketball strategy, making him invaluable to team success despite lower career totals. Choose LeBron if you value sustained excellence, two-way impact, and all-around dominance; choose Curry if you prioritize shooting prowess and modern offensive efficiency.
LeBron James: 40,511 | Stephen Curry: 34,387 points
LeBron James: 11,185 | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 1,317 three-pointers | Stephen Curry: 3,701 three-pointers
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 PPG | Stephen Curry: 23.6
LeBron James: 21 seasons (2003-2024) | Stephen Curry: N/A
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: 40.8% | Stephen Curry: 42.3%
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: 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: 40,061 | Stephen Curry: 16,919
LeBron James: 34.0% | Stephen Curry: 41.4%
LeBron James: 10 | Stephen Curry: 6 Finals
LeBron James: 40,361 points | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 40,361 points | 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: 19 (of 21) | Stephen Curry: 10 (of 17)
LeBron James: 17.9 (10.5 RPG + 7.4 APG) | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 73.5% | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 MVPs | Stephen Curry: 2 MVPs
LeBron James: 21 seasons | Stephen Curry: N/A
LeBron James: 4 Finals MVPs | Stephen Curry: 1 Finals MVP
LeBron James: 10,452 | Stephen Curry: 5,243 assists
LeBron James: 4 (Heat, Cavs, Lakers) | Stephen Curry: 4 championships
LeBron James: 19 | Stephen Curry: 10 All-Star games
LeBron James: 21 | Stephen Curry: 18 seasons
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 88 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.
LeBron James is the more complete all-around player. He excels at scoring (40,361 career points), passing (10,452 assists), rebounding (10,452 rebounds), and two-way defense, while maintaining elite performance across 21 seasons. Stephen Curry is more specialized, dominantly exceeding LeBron only in three-point shooting (3,701 vs 1,317 made threes).
Stephen Curry is definitively the better shooter. He holds the all-time record with 3,701 made three-pointers (2,384 more than second place), shoots 42.3% from three on 13.5 attempts per game, and revolutionized spacing in basketball. LeBron shoots 40.8% from three but has attempted significantly fewer three-pointers (1,317 total).
Both tied with 4 NBA championships each, but LeBron won 4 Finals MVP awards demonstrating primary championship impact, while Curry won only 1 Finals MVP despite 4 rings, indicating heavier reliance on All-Star teammates. LeBron's impact measured by Finals MVP and sustained excellence across teams (Heat, Cavaliers, Lakers) shows broader winning impact.
Stephen Curry fundamentally revolutionized basketball by proving three-point shooting could be a dominant offensive strategy, increasing NBA-wide three-point attempts from 22.2 per game (2014-15) to 37.6 per game (2023-24). LeBron changed positional basketball by proving a 6'9" player could handle, pass, and lead offensively, but Curry's impact on spatial floor dynamics is more revolutionary.
Who would you rather build a team around?
LeBron James is the safer all-around choice if building from scratch, as his two-way excellence, scoring, playmaking, and versatility at power forward/small forward create fewer weaknesses. Curry is optimal if already possessing ball handlers and scorers, as his elite three-point shooting and spacing gravity amplify teammates' efficiency—he maximizes existing talent more than creating everything himself.
How to Choose Between LeBron James and Stephen Curry
All-Time Scoring: LeBron James has 40,361 points, while Stephen Curry has 34,387 points.
Three-Point Makes (Career): LeBron James has 1,317 threes, while Stephen Curry has 3,701 threes.
NBA Championships: LeBron James has 4 championships, while Stephen Curry has 4 championships.
MVP Awards: LeBron James has 4 MVPs, while Stephen Curry has 2 MVPs.
Finals MVP Awards: LeBron James has 4 Finals MVPs, while Stephen Curry has 1 Finals MVP.
All-Star Selections: LeBron James has 19 All-Star games, while Stephen Curry has 10 All-Star games.
Career Three-Point Percentage: LeBron James has 40.8%, while Stephen Curry has 42.3%.