7x-NBA Champ sees Stephen Curry outpacing LeBron James and Kevin Durant in his 18th season

Stephen Curry is entering the 18th season of his NBA career, all of it spent playing for the Golden State Warriors. As he gears up for another season at the age of 38, fans might be wondering just how effective he can still be. Seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry has a bold answer: better than both LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Robert Horry puts Stephen Curry above LeBron and Durant for 2026-27

Curry is serving out a one-year veteran extension with the Warriors for the 2026-27 season, worth approximately $62.6 million. He signed the deal on August 29, 2024. After this season, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027 unless a new extension is agreed upon.

As of early August 2026, Curry is approaching eligibility for another extension. Reports indicate mutual interest between the player and the organization in a potential new multi-year deal, with projections pointing toward a two-year maximum extension in the range of roughly $136-$140 million.

Amid the uncertainty around his future, Horry recently ranked the individual seasons ahead for three of the league's aging superstars and put Curry at the top.

"If we go 'individually,' I think I'm gonna go Steph first. I think he still strikes fear in people's eyes because when you can shoot it like that and have the handles and get to the rack and shoot floaters… KD and LeBron, to me, are tied," Horry said.

Horry's reasoning centers on Curry's unique skill set: elite shooting range combined with ball-handling and finishing ability that continues to command defensive attention even at this stage of his career.

Curry set to carry a shorthanded Warriors squad through a transitional year

The Golden State Warriors enter 2026-27 coming off a disappointing 37-45 campaign that ended with a Play-In Tournament exit and a 10th-place finish in the Western Conference. Head coach Steve Kerr remains in place after signing a new extension, signaling the organization's continued commitment to competing around Curry rather than pivoting toward a full rebuild.

The roster picture, however, is complicated. Jimmy Butler is rehabilitating a torn ACL suffered in January 2026 and is not expected to return until midseason at the earliest, with some projections pointing toward Christmas or later.

Moses Moody is also working his way back from a serious knee injury. The team re-acquired Kristaps Porzingis at midseason last year and has prioritized keeping him, though on a more team-friendly short-term deal given his own injury history.

Cap constraints leave the Warriors deeply over the salary cap with little room for significant additions, leading some reports to describe 2026-27 as a potential "gap year" focused more on growth than immediate contention.

Against that backdrop, expectations for Curry's individual production remain high. Shouldering a heavier offensive burden than in recent years, he'll be the engine this team leans on for scoring and creation. Even in an injury-shortened 2025-26 season, he still averaged 26.6 points per game and has consistently shown the ability to elevate his game when the team needs him most.

The combination of necessity and his one-of-a-kind skill set forms the foundation for projections that Curry can once again produce at an elite individual level, potentially ranking among the league's most impactful players even as the Warriors navigate a transitional year.

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