The NBA has seen some stellar back-court duos spanning many generations. As someone who has covered basketball for over 20 years, Stephen A. Smith knows a thing or two about all-time guard pairings.
The analyst provided his top-five rankings, and while Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were on the list, he named several other greats ahead of them including Stephen Curry, as shown by First Take on X.
At No. 5, Smith chose former Boston Celtics guards Bob Cousey and Sam Jones. The two guards’ outstanding scoring and playmaking helped propel the Celtics dynasty forward in the late 1950s and early 1906s. They won five titles together of the many more that Boston acquired.
Next, Smith ranked the Dallas Mavericks duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic at the No. 4 spot. Doncic and Irving have arguably been the best scoring backcourt in the NBA in 2024. They spearheaded the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals and helped take a 3-0 lead on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the series. Smith noted that the two Dallas guards could rank higher if they win a chip.
At No. 3, Smith listed former Detroit Pistons guards Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. The guards were two major pieces of the dominant “Bad Boy Pistons” who were ferocious on both sides of the ball. In addition, Thomas and Dumars won two championships during their time in Detroit.
For No. 2, Smith chose Los Angeles Lakers guards Magic Johnson and Byron Scott. Like the “Bad Boy Pistons,” Johnson and Scott helped maintain the “Showtime Lakers,” winning three championships together.
Finally, Stephen A. Smith gave the best NBA backcourt duo of all time crown to Golden State Warriors guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The “Splash Brothers” have won four championships together and hope to keep adding another to resume before their time is over.
Stephen A. Smith explains why Curry, Thompson made top of list, what it means for Irving and Doncic
Stephen A Smith further explained his reasoning for ranking Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the best backcourt pairing in a colorful way.
“The greatest shooting backcourt in the history of man,” Smith proudly claimed on First Take. “Steph Curry, the greatest shooter God has ever created, and Klay Thompson, right up there. Klay Thompson had a ‘bad’ year this year. Do you know that a bad year for Klay Thompson is shooting about 38 percent from three-point range? Averaging about 17? That’s how great [he] is.”
“[Thompson] is a surefire first-ballot future Hall of Famer, make no mistake about it…[and] Steph Curry is still a superstar in this league,” Smith added.
The two Dubs guards seem to have a lock in their position, according to Smith. However, as mentioned, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have a chance to rise the rankings if they can win one or more championships together. Irving is in his early 30s, and Doncic is only 25. If the two stick together for a few more years, the sky is the limit.
Was Stephen A. Smith’s list valid? Will there ever be another backcourt duo to overtake Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s top spot?