It’s hard to recall a team in any major North American sport that has been as hyped as this Warriors team has been.

The biggest draw of the group is still undoubtedly Stephen Curry, although that can be reassessed once Kevin Durant establishes himself in this new location.

Even so, it’s a tall order to captivate the public as much as Curry seems to. In the elitist environment which is professional sports, Curry is perhaps the most accessible star in recent memory.

Not only does he seem like a ridiculously nice guy, but there’s an aura of relatability present with Curry that isn’t often felt with other basketball players.

Part of Michael Jordan’s mystique was his ability to use his athleticism to seemingly defy what was humanly possible.

Curry isn’t on Jordan’s level in terms of accomplishments, but if we took a snapshot of the basketball world from 2015-2016, there’s no player more emulated or influential.

Curry amazes with his precision shooting, which is by far the skill on the court most transferable to the common fan, at least in theory.

Try as they might, the average fan won’t ever be able to dunk, but they could conceivably practice standing in one place and shooting 3-pointers enough until they get really good at it.

That’s a powerful distinction, because not very often is the premier player in terms of league-wide popularity a guy whose game isn’t based on freakish athleticism.

That’s somewhat of an oversimplification of what makes Curry great, because he’s more than just a fantastic shooter.

His vision, quickness, ball handling, and passing skills separate him from that label of “pure shooter” that often confines a player that can do so much more on the court.

Larry Bird wasn’t soaring above the rim, but became an icon largely through his remarkable shooting prowess and will to win.

Bird was 6’9” and 220 LBS, though, which is a world of difference compared to the more “normal” 6’3” and 190 LBS that Curry is.

6’3” is still gigantic in most public places, but in the midst of a game, Curry doesn’t look outrageously big.

So has there ever been a player comparable to Curry who became the type of positive ambassador to the game that Curry has?

It’s a difficult question to answer, because it’s hard to quantify what exactly makes Curry so popular amongst fans.

I think it’s a combination of accessibility, skill, and kindness in some order, accessibility in this case going back to what I was saying earlier about looking more like a normal person than most NBA stars do.

I immediately think of guys like Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, and Steve Nash who became icons while having a stature that would be conducive to blending in out in the real world.

Again, I can’t make especially strong parallels beyond that with any of those guys to Curry, though, illustrating the unique situation Curry finds himself in.

Thomas was quick and gritty, but never a good perimeter shooter. Plus headlining the “Bad Boys” teams in Detroit wasn’t going to get him embraced by fans around the league.

Iverson is also a shallow comparison, because he was arguably the most polarizing player of the past two decades. Nobody hates Curry, or chastises him for being a bad role model.

Also, Iverson’s game was predicated on such extreme athleticism that even though he was so tiny, it seemed absurd to watch highlights of him and even dream of doing what he did out on the court.

Nash is probably the closest comparison to Curry in terms of on-court player package. They’re both point guards with great leadership skills and offensive repertoires established on transcendent shooting ability.

Nash was also widely recognized as one of the nicest guys in the league, and definitely had the same type of warm vibe to him that Curry has. The accessibility factor was there as well.

Nash was never a champion, though, which brings a unique ambience hard to replicate without that ring.

There’s something about being a champion that pushes a player up to that next tier within our popular culture.

Look at how many times Curry gets name dropped in songs these days. Not to say that Nash doesn’t have a few, but there’s probably no cooler player in the NBA to mention in a verse than Curry.

Although to be fair, I don’t think Nelly Furtado has mentioned Curry, so Nash can always play that card.

Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett are two of the best power forwards of all time, but Garnett is a champion and Malone isn’t. Beyond the actual hardware, it’s such an intangible phenomenon.

Most people would probably rank Garnett ahead of Malone just based on gut reaction to hearing both their names, but the numbers say that Malone was the better player.

That champion factor goes such a long way in determining these players’ legacies, and it’s not always entirely fair, but it’s often the unfortunate reality of the situation.

It’s very hard to get to that level without a ring. It’s not impossible, but I don’t think that Curry would be chatting with the First Lady on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” about playing golf with the president if he didn’t have that ring.

Curry is becoming a global ambassador to the game, and reaping the rewards that come with it. He appeared on Ellen’s show with Michelle Obama to promote their partnership with Brita called “Drink Up,” a project meant to encourage families to drink more water.

He also talked about playing golf with the president, who he claimed was quite the trash talker out on the course.

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