Steph Curry's ranking on ESPN's list invalidates it, Rob Parker opines

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We've become accustomed to old-time NBA players throwing shade at Steph Curry.

Now, longtime journalist Rob Parker is questioning where the Warriors superstar is ranked on ESPN's list of the top 74 players in NBA history.

ESPN's panel voted Curry as the No. 13 player in NBA history, one spot ahead of former Warriors forward Kevin Durant and 18 spots ahead of Hall of Fame Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas.

That's where Parker, who spent a large portion of his career working for Detroit publications and TV stations, has a problem.

"It's just where we are in society," Parker said Thursday to co-host Chris Broussard on FS1's "The Odd Couple" radio show. "It's the same thing we battle every day about people trying to re-write NBA history and poo-poo what people did in the past because you don't have video tape of it. Kevin Durant being behind him, again, Steph is more likable, Steph is more cute and the kids love him. There's a lot of other things that don't have to do with basketball. His accomplishments and his place in the game shouldn't have anything to do with who's better talent-wise.

"The idea that Steph could be 13 and Isiah Thomas is 31st on whatever list that was, I don't remember which one, that invalidates the list to me. That makes the list hard for me to comprehend."

Should Thomas and Durant be higher on the list? Probably. Some all-time great players always will be slighted in any ranking. But Curry's place in NBA history is hard to dispute.

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Curry has revolutionized the way the game of basketball is played today. He has stretched the dimensions of the court in ways no other player has. He's arguably the greatest 3-point shooter the game has ever seen.

Curry's 2015-16 season was so dominant that he was voted as the unanimous MVP, the first and only player to hold the honor.

In his first 10 NBA seasons, Curry won two NBA MVP awards, won three NBA championships, has been named to six NBA All-Star Games, and has earned six All-NBA selections.

At only 32 years old, Curry has at least a half-decade of productive basketball ahead of him, so he's not done adding to those accolades.

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When he hangs up his sneakers, Curry will be remembered as one of the most influential players to ever step foot on NBA hardwood.

So it doesn't invalidate any list to have Curry as the No. 13 player in NBA history. If anything, No. 13 might be too low considering the impact he has had on the game.

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