"This is going to be painful for me to say, but I think he passes Isiah Thomas as the greatest small guard ever" - Charles Barkley on where Steph Curry ranks on "greatest players ever" list

Steph Curry continues to bask in the glory of an incredible NBA Finals after leading the Golden State Warriors to their fourth title in eight years. Basketball’s greatest shooter was also unanimously named the best player in the championship series, finally grabbing the only missing hardware of his all-time great career.

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley acknowledged that Curry’s latest milestones significantly push his stock higher among the greats. On ESPN's "Get Up," the former MVP said:

“This is going to be painful for me to say, but I think he passes Isiah Thomas as the greatest small guard ever.”

Barkley is reluctant to push Curry past Isiah Thomas as he competed against Thomas in the 1980s and '90s. Thomas is a two-time champion and one-time Finals MVP. “Sir Chuck” and the Detroit Pistons legend are also good friends, which made Barkley’s declaration difficult.

The only reason why the TNT basketball analyst wouldn’t call Curry the greatest point guard ever is because of a guy named Magic Johnson. To this day, the iconic LA Lakers playmaker is still considered to be the yardstick by which all point guards are measured.

Johnson’s resume is nearly untouchable. He won the regular-season and NBA Finals MVP awards three times each and has five titles under his belt (plus an NCAA championship). Curry won’t likely catch the legendary point guard’s regular-season MVP haul, but the finals version could be within grasp.

The Golden State Warriors could dominate the NBA in the next few years, increasing Curry’s chance of tying or surpassing Johnson’s championship rings. Along the way, another finals MVP or two could change the whole best point-guard-ever conversation.

However, with the way the game is played today, some fans would gladly take the “Baby-Faced Assassin” over the Showtime Lakers' playmaker.

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Charles Barkley calls Steph Curry one of the most unselfish superstars in NBA history

Charles Barkley names San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan and Steph Curry as two of the most unselfish superstars in NBA history. [Photo: SFGATE]

As Steph Curry emotionally let the Warriors’ fourth championship sink in, one glaring fact stood out amid the celebration. Everyone on the Bay Area team’s roster was overjoyed for Curry. They were as happy for the team as they were for the franchise icon.

Barkley confirmed how Curry’s nature is a big reason for his greatness, saying:

“For me, you talk about unselfish superstars, I think Tim Duncan and Steph are probably at the top of the list of guys who don’t care who get the credit. They just want to win. ... Everybody’s happy he finally gets Finals MVP and he says, ‘Man, I don’t get a crap about that! This is our fourth championship.’”

Barkley also pointed out an important fact during the Kevin Durant era with the Warriors:

“KD wouldn’t have been able to do what he did unless Steph kind of stepped out of the way. You saw it broke up Kobe (Bryant) and Shaq (O'Neal), but when KD got there, Steph never complained. He was happy to win back-to-back championships.”