Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is often regarded as the Stephen Curry of the 90s NBA. The retired player may appreciate such a comparison, given Curry’s reputation as arguably the best shooter ever.
Yet, it raises the question: How does the Warriors legend, in turn, perceive being compared to Abdul-Rauf? In 2016, ‘Chef Curry’ publicly offered his perspective on the matter.
“I actually went and watched YouTube highlights of (Abdul-Rauf) at LSU. I really never watched his game before. It helped my basketball knowledge a little bit. There are some similarities for sure,” SC remarked, per Bleacher Report.
Curry studied Abdul-Rauf on YouTube
In 1988, Abdul-Rauf (formerly Chris Jackson) set the record for the highest scoring average by a college freshman, averaging 30.2 points per contest. In his third game for LSU, he scored an impressive 48 points, followed by an even more remarkable 53 points in his fifth game. It’s highly likely that Curry has watched highlights of these standout performances by his fellow point guard predecessor.
“I watched one game – he had 40-something on the road,” Steph commented. “He had that thrust in transition, pulling up from 3, getting in the paint.”
Steph, who also mentioned he “watched three YouTube videos and kept it moving,” partially started studying Abdul-Rauf after a discussion on social media at the time. This discussion was triggered by a tweet from Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who had drawn a parallel between the two players.
Jackson faced backlash
Some misunderstood the Zen Master’s tweet. Jackson simply noted the resemblance between their playstyles, which Abdul-Rauf had shown earlier by playing in a previous era. Phil certainly was not the only one with this opinion.
The similarities between Mahmoud and Steph are indeed striking. Two guards with similar height and possessing exceptional free-throw shooting – Curry currently sits at .91, while Abdul-Rauf ended his career at .905.
Watching their highlights, one can also notice their artistic flair around the basket, great handles, and especially the most distinctive feature: a smooth, quick shooting stroke that makes their three-point shooting look effortless, even with the most difficult shots like pull-up threes, off-the-dribble threes, or hesitation jumpers.
However, the comparison falters as soon as one considers their respective levels of success. While Abdul-Rauf’s pinnacle was winning the 1993 MIP award with the Denver Nuggets, Curry’s accomplishments far overshadow this.
Steph, a ten-time All-Star and four-time NBA champ, already is a solidified legend both in the Bay Area and in league history. Ultimately, Jackson felt compelled to make this clarification after facing online backlash.