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Barkley: LeBron, Kawhi are better all-around players than Curry

Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Just three days removed from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry earning his second Most Valuable Player award in as many years, TNT analyst Charles Barkley is unsure of where "The Chef" falls in the league's pecking order of great players.

During an appearance on ESPN's Russillo and Kanell on Friday, Barkley chimed in on LeBron James' recent comments about how the award should be interpreted, and the difference between being the most valuable player and being the best player.

"Steve Nash won two MVP's, and Shaq is pissed every time it comes up because he knows he was the best player," Barkley said. "LeBron and Kawhi Leonard are, to me, the two best players in the world. Steph Curry is the best offensive player in the world."

When asked to elaborate on his comments by the hosts, Barkley pointed out Curry's defense, and how he's rarely tasked with defending the opposing team's top backcourt player.

"Klay Thompson always guards the best guard. That's not a knock," Barkley said. "Larry Bird wasn't a great defender, Magic Johnson wasn't a great defender. But they're still probably two of the 10 greatest players ever. Steph is amazing, and that's not hating on him. If people actually watched the Warriors play, they do know that Klay Thompson guards the best point guard every night."

Curry certainly isn't a slouch on that end of the floor, having led the Association in steals per game (2.14) and total steals (169) this past season. Thompson is more of a shutdown defender because of his size and mobility, but that doesn't mean Curry can't hold his own.

Nonetheless, Barkley acknowledged that if he had a vote for MVP, he would have given it to Curry, just like everyone else.

In 79 appearances for the 73-win Warriors, Curry led the NBA in scoring (30.1 points per game), broke his own record by connecting on 402 3-pointers, and joined the 50-40-90 club for the first time.

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