There are a number of reasons why both fans and critics believe Stephen Curry has brought about a tremendous change in the way basketball is played. The four-time champion is widely seen as one of the most gifted players to grace the NBA, and has during his time gone against some of the toughest defenders of the generation.

But well, who are the best defenders he has faced? During a recent interview with ABC7, the Warriors legend answered that precise question in a straightforward manner.

“It’s a tie for me between Avery Bradley and Jrue Holiday,” he said. “Yeah, those are the guys.”

Steph Curry on the toughest defender he has ever faced:

“It’s a tie for me between Avery Bradley and Jrue Holiday. Yeah, those are the guys.”

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— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) October 1, 2026

The answer might surprise some, considering some of Curry’s most landmark showdowns came against other top-class defenders. However, both Bradley and Holiday are counted amongst two of the best defenders who have played in the league in recent decades.

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Bradley gave the Warriors and Steph some difficult games during his tenure with the Boston Celtics. However, while some of the games saw Curry being limited in scoring, he also averaged 26.2 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 17 games, which makes for impressive reading.

Still, Curry did have his shooting struggles against Bradley, especially in his early years, and the lowest points total he finished with came in an April 2011 regular-season game against the Celtics, when he only produced nine points and five assists, per StatMuse. Curry also shot at an overall 46.3% and around 37% from the three against Bradley across those 17 games. Meanwhile, Curry’s stats also don't leave much room for improvement against Holiday. Steph was famously limited to just eight points in a March 2020 game against the Milwaukee Bucks, largely due to Holiday's defensive presence and tenacity.

However, the Warriors star has averaged 25.1 points, 5.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds in his last 15 games against Holiday while shooting at more than 41% from beyond the arc and exactly 47% from the field.

Of course, those stats do not necessarily mean much, and there is little doubt that both Bradley and Holiday made things difficult for Steph each time the Warriors found themselves playing against their teams.