News

‘Messi Is Curry, Ronaldo Is LeBron’ – NBA Comparisons Explained

Published

2 years ago

October 6, 2023

Kevin-Prince Boateng has drawn comparisons between NBA legends LeBron James and Steph Curry and football players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi and the former Barcelona loanee formerly played together at Camp Nou, and over the years, they both crossed paths with Portuguese icon Ronaldo. Boateng is in a good position to evaluate the greatest players of all time. The former Ghanaian international explains why a few of enduring competitors in football can be compared to talismanic individuals in the NBA ranks who also have a tonne of huge victories to their credit.

According to what Boateng said on Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE YouTube channel: “I always compare LeBron James with Ronaldo, and Steph Curry with Messi. These [Ronaldo and James] both have their talent, LeBron James is hard work. Talent, of course, but hard work – like Ronaldo, hard work to be the best. Both these guys [Messi and Curry], they have just a gift.”

Boateng has also told a story which highlights how Messi is able to turn his special ‘gift’ on and off at the flick of a switch, with one memorable performance against Liverpool in the Champions League from back in 2018-19 springing to mind.

Boateng said: “Liverpool first leg, we won 3-0, when Messi scored this free-kick. Unbelievable. So we’re coming into the dressing room, he’s just sitting there with his phone. Whatever, gets a massage sitting down. Two minutes before we go out he just stands up, closes his boots, we go out. Warm-up, just long balls, control, dribbling a little bit, crossbar challenge… at the warm-up Champions League against Liverpool. He goes back inside. Coach makes the last adjustments talking, Messi’s on the phone… The coach was talking, saying ‘now you have to go left, you have to go right’. Messi was FaceTiming: ‘Yes, Si, Claro’. Thirty seconds before we go out, he just comes down, puts his jacket on, goes out, boom. Go, go, go, go. Like this.”

While Ronaldo, who is 38 years old and playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, is still going strong at his club despite his age, Messi is now strutting his stuff in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami despite the Argentine now suffering an unlucky injury.