Player what-if

Who would win Stephen Curry vs Michael Jordan?

In 2,500 Ball is Life simulations of Stephen Curry's 2015-16 season versus Michael Jordan's 1995-96 season, Michael Jordan is the favorite at about 52%. The model uses historical per-game averages plus noise, not a seven-game series. Entertainment only — not betting advice.

By Jackie Chan Tech · Last updated 4 October 2026 · Entertainment only, not betting advice. Not affiliated with the NBA.

Key stats

Historical per-game averages used by the simulator for Stephen Curry (2015-16) and Michael Jordan (1995-96).
StatStephen Curry (2015-16)Michael Jordan (1995-96)
Points 30.1 30.4
Rebounds 5.4 6.6
Assists 6.7 4.3
Steals 2.1 2.2
Blocks 0.2 0.5
Turnovers 3.3 2.4
Field-goal % 50.4% 49.5%
Three-point % 45.4% 42.7%
Free-throw % 90.8% 83.4%
Minutes 34.2 37.7

Methodology

  • Win probability comes from a TypeScript simulation on our servers, not from the language model.
  • Each published answer page uses 2,500 iterations and a fixed seed so the number on the page stays stable.
  • Inputs are historical per-game averages from cached season packs (balldontlie ingest). Recent seasons are excluded on purpose.
  • There is no pace or rule-era adjustment on these pages. A 1995-96 line is compared as published, not translated into 2026 basketball.
  • These pages report a single-matchup favorite, not a seven-game series result. We do not invent series scores.
  • Claude may write narrative around a live run. That story is entertainment. Basketball-Reference links are for public season context, not our raw feed.

Full write-up: How Ball is Life simulates games.

Run it yourself

Open the NBA what-if simulator with Stephen Curry (2015-16) and Michael Jordan (1995-96).

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Context

Stephen Curry’s 2015-16 Golden State Warriors season is the unanimous-MVP shooting pack in our catalog (30.1 points, 45.4% from three). Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls season is the two-way scoring standard.

For team context, see the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls versus 2015-16 Golden State Warriors page. That is the closest published team model we can run without inventing a 2016-17 pack.

Sources

FAQ

Who would win Stephen Curry vs Michael Jordan?

In 2,500 Ball is Life simulations of Stephen Curry's 2015-16 season versus Michael Jordan's 1995-96 season, Michael Jordan is the favorite at about 52%. The model uses historical per-game averages plus noise, not a seven-game series. Entertainment only — not betting advice.

Which seasons does Ball is Life use for this page?

This published page uses Stephen Curry (2015-16) against Michael Jordan (1995-96), matching seed packs already in the product. Signed-in plans can rerun nearby years. We do not invent missing seasons.

Is this a seven-game series result?

No. The published figure is a single-matchup favorite from 2,500 noisy iterations. It is not a series win total and not betting advice.

How can I run this matchup myself?

Use the run-it-yourself block on this page, or open the free NBA what-if simulator. Guest 1v1 covers the classic primes. Team versus team needs a Casual plan.

Where do the box-score numbers come from?

The simulator scores cached historical averages ingested via balldontlie. Basketball-Reference links on the page are public season context, not the raw vendor feed.

Simulated pages publish a model favorite. Placeholder pages do not.

All classic scenarios