Former NBA Player Terrence Ross Says Kyrie Irving ‘Definitely’ More Talented Than Stephen Curry In New Debate

Former NBA player Terrence Ross has reignited one of basketball’s most enduring debates, arguing that Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving possesses more raw basketball talent than Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, even while ultimately naming Curry the greater overall player.

Ross made the comments during a recent appearance on the “Players Choice” show, where he was asked to choose between the two guards.

“I’m gonna say Steph,” Ross said. “But I will say this: I think Kyrie is definitely more talented in a sense of him as a basketball player. We all know Steph is relying on that three, hell or high water, and because he’s goated at it, it’s nothing you can do. But Kyrie, bro, I’ve never seen a dude … I played against Kyrie. He had 60 points, bro. He ain’t even played the whole fourth.”

Ross, who spent 11 seasons in the NBA, was referring to a game between his Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets on March 15, 2022. Irving, then playing for the Nets, scored a career-high 60 points on 20-of-31 shooting from the field in just 35 minutes, and could have finished with an even higher total had he not been subbed out with 8 minutes, 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Ross went on to describe the specific style of that scoring outburst, contrasting Irving’s shot-creation ability with Curry’s reliance on catch-and-shoot three-point shooting.

“And it was one of the hardest 60s,” Ross said. “If Curry gonna get 60 or 50, he’s gonna hit 11 threes, and it’s gonna be quick. He gonna catch and shoot it, bow. Kyrie is gonna be like, walking the ball up, iso, pick-and-roll … And it’s annoying, bro.”

Ross recalled a specific sequence from that game in which Irving scored directly over former NBA center Mo Bamba, who is widely regarded as having the longest wingspan in league history.

“I seen him go up against Mo Bamba. He had the longest wingspan in the history of the game, bro,” Ross said. “He goes up at Mo with the right, hits him in the chest, and then scoops it to his left, and then just finishes it. And I’m just like, ‘Yeah, it’s just one of them nights. We can’t do s***.’ We throwing double teams at him. He essentially turning the double team into another pick-and-roll and just going off the slower dude and just fading s***. So, I’m just like, there’s nothing we could do, bro.”

Ross’s comments echo similar praise Irving has received throughout his career from other current and former players. Kevin Durant, who played alongside both Irving and Curry at different points in his career, has previously described Irving as capable of doing anything imaginable with a basketball, often citing him as the most skilled offensive player he has ever shared a court with.

Despite acknowledging Irving’s exceptional individual skill, Ross ultimately said he would still choose Curry when forced to pick the better overall player, pointing to the tangible difference in team success and individual accolades between the two.

“So, I see him do wild s***,” Ross said of Irving. “But at the end of the day, bro, what Steph got like 4,000 threes and four championships, two MVPs, one of them unanimous. I would have to go Steph.”

Curry, 38, remains widely regarded as the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history, though his overall game extends well beyond that specific skill, including a strong ball-handling ability and effective finishing at the rim, qualities Ross suggested often get overlooked given how dominant Curry’s shooting has become as his signature trait.

Curry’s career résumé significantly outpaces Irving’s by traditional team and individual honors. The 12-time All-Star has won four NBA championships, one Finals MVP award, two regular-season MVP awards and two scoring titles over the course of his career. Curry remains the only player in NBA history to win the MVP award unanimously, a feat he accomplished during the 2015-16 season. Irving, by contrast, has never received a single MVP vote throughout his career, despite being widely regarded by many players and analysts as one of the most individually skilled offensive talents the league has ever produced.

Irving, 34, has built his own decorated career since entering the league, winning an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 as part of the team’s historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in the NBA Finals. He has earned nine All-Star selections over the course of his career and has frequently been described by teammates, opponents and analysts as possessing one of the deepest offensive skill sets, sometimes described as a “bag,” in the history of the sport, reflecting his ability to score in a wide variety of ways against nearly any defensive scheme or individual defender.

The Curry-versus-Irving talent debate has persisted for years within basketball circles, often centering on the distinction Ross drew between individual offensive skill and overall team-level impact and accolades. Analysts and former players who favor Irving in pure skill-based comparisons typically point to his exceptional ball-handling, finishing creativity and ability to consistently create difficult shots against tight, well-schemed defenses, as illustrated by the 60-point performance Ross referenced. Those who favor Curry, even while acknowledging Irving’s individual talent, generally point to Curry’s unprecedented shooting efficiency at scale, his broader offensive gravity that reshapes how opposing defenses are forced to operate, and his significantly more decorated championship and individual award history.

Ross retired from the NBA in 2023 after an 11-season career that included stints with the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns, among other teams. His comments add to an ongoing conversation among current and former players about how to properly weigh pure individual skill against overall career achievement and team success when evaluating and comparing two of the most stylistically distinct and individually accomplished guards of their generation.