Both James Harden and Stephen Curry entered the league during the 2009-10 season—Harden with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Curry with the Golden State Warriors. While their careers have taken vastly different paths, the two players share one thing in common: they’ve both left an indelible mark on the NBA, each bringing their own signature style. Now, Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas has drawn an intriguing distinction between the two.
“I think Steph really changed the way teams wanted to play the game of basketball,” Thomas said in an appearance on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. The 23-year-old praised Curry’s transformative influence on the game, particularly in terms of shooting and team dynamics.
“Shooting threes, moving around without the ball, I think Steph really changed the way teams around the league tried to play,” Cam explained. “Steph really changed team culture. Everybody wants to shoot threes now. If you can’t shoot threes, you can’t play.”
However, Thomas went on to highlight a key difference between Curry and Harden, noting that many young players grew up aspiring to emulate Harden’s style. “I think we really gravitated toward James because James was doing the isos. Like breaking people down one-on-one, scoring the 40s and 50s,” Cam explained.
He continued to praise the impact of the Los Angeles Clippers star. “James really changed the individual play. The isos, the handles, the stepbacks, the foul drawing, just all that stuff.” Thomas said. “I think James really changed the individual skill of how players wanted to play the game.”
James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers walks back during a 102-99 Clippers win at Intuit Dome
Harden and Curry: Marking an era in the NBA
Over the past 15 years, Stephen Curry has been instrumental in shaping the modern NBA, leading the Golden State Warriors to four championships and reaching two additional Finals appearances. Not content with his remarkable accomplishments, Curry entered this season with one goal in mind: a fifth NBA title. These achievements have firmly established him as one of the most successful players of his generation.
On the other hand, James Harden‘s career has been defined by individual brilliance rather than team success. Despite his exceptional play, Harden has only reached the NBA Finals once—back in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they were defeated by the Miami Heat in five games. Since then, Harden has failed to return to that stage, first with the Houston Rockets, then the Brooklyn Nets, and most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, at the age of 35, he continues to chase that elusive Finals appearance with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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NBA News: Clippers star James Harden responds to Paul Pierce’s statements about him
The future of the NBA after Harden and Curry
“James and Steph are the two, for our generation, for the young guys, the one and two,” Cam Thomas said in his conversation with Draymond Green, acknowledging the lasting impact both players have had on the league over the last decade and a half. However, the Brooklyn Nets guard made it clear that the next generation is ready to take the reins. “Credit to those guys for changing the game, but it’s our time now, for sure.”
