Stephen Curry’s New Sports Movie Makes His GOAT Argument

What does it take to be considered the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT)? That question has dominated sports conversations for a long time, but the debates have only become more constant in the last decade or so (even inspiring ScreenRant‘s Challenge My GOAT series). While these conversations exist in all sports, none are litigated quite as frequently as in the National Basketball Association.

For many, counting the championships someone has won is the deciding factor when measuring an athlete’s career in any GOAT conversation. That’s why Michael Jordan (six championship rings in as many NBA Finals appearances, never losing one) has become the popular choice as the greatest basketball player ever. That leaves modern superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry chasing more rings to try to supplant the Chicago Bulls icon.

It’s created what is now known as ring culture, where individual or team success matters less if you never delivered a championship. As the catalyst for most modern GOAT debates, LeBron has already criticized ring culture in the past. But Curry — a four-time NBA Champion (like LeBron) — has stayed quiet on the matter.

Yet, his new sports movie, GOAT, (which he produced and has a voice role in) is directly about these debates and what it means to be the greatest ever. Its overarching view of the importance of rings when having these discussions surprised me, as it practically makes the case for Curry to be it.

What Stephen Curry’s Movie Says About Championships In The GOAT Conversation

The playfully titled animated movie tackles the GOAT debate through the presence of Will Harris’ favorite player, Jett Fillmore. The fierce black panther is a roarball legend who has achieved plenty of individual career success, like winning MVPs, but has failed to lead the Vineland Thorns to win The Claw, the roarball league championship.

Knowing how involved Curry was in GOAT, it stuck out to me when the movie has characters discussing whether Jett belongs in any GOAT conversation, considering she is ringless. No firm stance is taken on the matter at this point, but it shows that ring culture was on the mind of the film’s creative team in some capacity.

For someone like Curry, who has won multiple rings (in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022 for the Golden State Warriors), winning at the highest level has vaulted his placement among the NBA greats to new heights. But GOAT argues that this isn’t all that really matters.

Will and pretty much everyone who lives in Vineland fully believe that Jett is the greatest ever, even though she has no rings. This is thanks to the impact she had on fans, the city, and the game at large. So even as the film’s villain, Mane Attraction, challenges for his third championship, there is no indication that these rings made him indisputably better than Jett.

Ultimately, the movie argues that the GOAT debate should factor everything in: championships, longevity, individual accolades, team success, cultural impact, loyalty, legacy, and more. And even though – mild spoiler alert – GOAT‘s ending makes Jett a champion at last, that overall theme remains true. Curry’s movie doesn’t agree that rings are all that matter.

Goat Becomes An Argument For Stephen Curry To Be Basketball’s GOAT

Faye’s Vision/Cover Images

GOAT is ultimately a fun animated movie filled with good humor, exciting games, and striking imagery, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how its message regarding rings, the GOAT debate, and legacy connected to Curry’s career. The movie essentially becomes a case for why the 6’2 point guard deserves more recognition in these conversations.

Curry has the number of NBA championships to make his case stack up fairly well in today’s ring culture climate. He’s got the same as LeBron and Shaquille O’Neal. He’s one behind Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan, and two back of MJ and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Overall, Curry has made it to six NBA Finals, including five in a row from 2015 to 2019.

As a four-time champion, two-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, 2-time season scoring leader, and the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made record holder, he’s got the team and individual success to stack up well with anyone. But Curry’s GOAT case grows when you factor in everything else.

He’s a smaller guard with a strong connection to the singular team he’s playing for. Curry is a generational shooter whose deep threes and signature celebrations have influenced the next generation of ballers. That impact is already evident across high school, college, and professional levels of the game, and it’s only going to continue to grow.

GOAT briefly emphasizes Curry’s impact on the game, but through Will, not Jett. The young goat becomes a fan-favorite player with great touch from deep who proved even “smalls” could play Roarball. Just as Will inspires more “smalls” to play the sport, Curry was instrumental in the 3-point revolution that’s taken hold of modern basketball.

Meanwhile, Jett becomes the stand-in for how beloved Curry is for his team’s fanbase and the city. He’s played his whole career with the Golden State Warriors, and there’s no indication that will change before he retires (whenever that is). Just as Jett would always be Vineland’s favorite player no matter what, Curry will forever be someone Warriors fans will support, with his #30 jersey guaranteed to be retired when his career ends.

Even if he never wins another championship, the four he did win already, the sustained success individually and at a team level, and the way he’s been the face of the team and city for 16 seasons (and counting) should arguably put Stephen Curry in the GOAT debate more frequently, especially based on how GOAT sells it. Maybe he’ll even be the new answer when everything is said and done.

Release Date

February 13, 2026

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Tyree Dillihay

Writers

Aaron Buchsbaum, Teddy Riley, Nicolas Curcio

Producers

Rodney Rothman, Stephen Curry, Michelle Raimo Kouyate, Erick Peyton, Adam Rosenberg