Players are often asked to name their Mount Rushmore of athletes in their own sport.
But athletes aren’t just sport-obsessed within the confines of their own profession. People everywhere are inspired by athletes across all disciplines.
LeBron James has recently become obsessed with golf, and Michael Jordan idolized Muhammed Ali growing up. It’s interesting to hear what people can take from their heroes in other sports and translate it to their own.
Stephen Curry was once asked to name his Mount Rushmore of non-NBA athletes, and he gave an interesting response.
Stephen Curry’s Mount Rushmore of non-NBA athletes
Back in 2023, the NBA’s greatest shooter of all time, Curry, was asked for his Mount Rushmore of non-NBA players, and he couldn’t narrow it down to four. After some thought, he gave a list of names.
Speaking to “Dubs Talk”, Curry said, “Mount Rushmore of my non-NBA players. My list is very personal. I am a fan, too. So, I’m going to go with Tiger [Woods].
I’m going to go Manny Ramirez. Can I put a Siamese twin-head of David [Ortiz] and Manny just to do that? Same thing with Cam Newton and Steve Smith. Those two are my guys. So, we got one [Tiger Woods]. Two, Manny and David. Three, we got Steve and Cam. And I would put Muhammad Ali up there, too.
“I got two mostly undisputed goats. And then my fandom coming out with the [Boston] Red Sox and the [Carolina] Panthers.”
Ali and Woods make sense. They’re the two best of their respective fields, with a long-lasting legacy on the game. But there’s no argument that Smith or Newton are the best ever in their sports. Some self-admitted bias from Curry there!
Stephen Curry compared rivalry with LeBron James to Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier
Curry and LeBron James shared the court in some of the most epic battles in NBA history, as Curry’s Golden State Warriors and James’ Cleveland Cavaliers fought in four NBA Finals against one another.
Curry compared this rivalry to the legendary boxing bouts between Ali and Frazier.
Speaking to NBA.com, Curry said, “It’s the ultimate rubber match, right? There’s kind of no debate after this who the better team is, on this stage. Both teams, I know, are going to give it everything we’ve got.
“It’s an adrenaline-filled series that, as a basketball player, you come to training camp in October, this is what you dream about playing, on this stage … you’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do to be the last man standing.”
Both rivalries will go down in history, as they were fought between two of the best ever in their sports. No wonder Curry put Ali on his Mount Rushmore, having stood in his shoes on the biggest sporting stage.
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