Stephen cury(2)
Professional career
Golden State Warriors (2009–present)
Early years (2009–2012)
Professional career
Golden State Warriors (2009–present)
Early years (2009–2012)
Curry defending against Allen Iverson in 2009
On June 25, 2009, Curry was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.[53] Although the Warriors already had another lean, 6-foot-3, offensive-minded guard in Monta Ellis, coach Don Nelson had a penchant for using small lineups in his Nellie Ball system, and had warmed to the idea of selecting Curry.[54][55] However, Ellis announced at a media session that he and Curry were too small to play together.[56] Curry appeared in 80 games (77 starts) during the 2009–10 season, averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.90 steals in 36.2 minutes.[57] His second half of the season vaulted him into the rookie of the year race.[58] He was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January, March, and April, finishing as the only Western Conference rookie to win the award three times.[57] He finished runner-up for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award behind Tyreke Evans[58] and was a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection, becoming the first Warriors player since Jason Richardson in 2001–02 to earn All-Rookie First Team honors.[57] He scored 30-plus points eight times, setting the most 30-point games by any rookie in 2009–10 and the most since LeBron James had 13 and Carmelo Anthony had 10 in 2003–04. Curry had five 30-point/10-assist games, which tied Michael Jordan for the second-most 30-point/10-assist games by a rookie (Oscar Robertson is first with 25). He became just the sixth rookie in NBA history to post a 35-point, 10-assist, 10-rebound game when he registered his first career triple-double with 36 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 10. In the Warriors' season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 14, Curry recorded a then- career-high 42 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, becoming the first rookie since Robertson in February 1961 to register at least those numbers in each category in the same game. Curry finished his rookie season with 166 three-pointers, which were the most ever by a rookie in NBA history.
less attempts than Allen did with Seattle.[57]
Curry earned Western Conference Player of the Month honors for the month of April. During this time he averaged 25.4 points, 8.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.13 steals in eight games in the final month of the season to become the third Warrior to ever win the award, joining Chris Mullin (November 1990 and January 1989) and Bernard King (January 1981). He tallied two of the NBA's top six scoring games with 54 points on February 27 at New York and 47 on April 12 at Los Angeles, becoming the first Warrior to score 45-plus at New York and Los Angeles in the same season since Rick Barry in 1966, joining Barry, Guy Rodgers, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only four Warriors to do so. Curry's 54 points against the Knicks included a career-best and then- franchise-record 11 three-pointers, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50-plus points while hitting 10-plus three-pointers in a game. It was the most scored by a Warrior since Purvis Short tallied 59 points in 1984. In 2013, he appeared in the playoffs for the first time in his career, with the Warriors earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference. In 12 playoff games (all starts), he averaged 23.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. He set a new franchise record with 42 playoff three-pointers, eclipsing the Warriors' career playoff mark of 29 previously held by Jason Richardson, giving him a total of 314 three-pointers for the season to become the first player in NBA history to hit at least 300 threes in a single season
In 2013–14, Curry appeared in 78 games (all starts), averaging career highs of 24.0 points (seventh in the NBA) and 8.5 assists (fifth) to go with 4.3 rebounds and 1.63 steals, becoming the first player in Warriors franchise history to average 24 points and eight assists in a single season (ninth player in NBA history). He led the league in three-pointers made for a second consecutive season with 261 (fourth-most ever in a single season), the first player since Ray Allen in 2001–02 and 2002–03 to lead the league in threes in back-to-back seasons. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for April and earned All-NBA Second Team honors, becoming the first Warriors player named to the First or Second Team since 1993–94.[57] On December 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies, Curry eclipsed Jason Richardson (700) as the franchise's leader in career three-pointers.[70] In February, he made his first All-Star appearance,[71] becoming the Warriors' first All-Star starter since Latrell Sprewell in 1995.[57] He scored a season-high 47 points on April 13 against the Portland Trail Blazers for his third 40-point game of the year. He finished the regular season tied for second in the NBA in triple-doubles with four, the most by a Warrior in a single season since Chamberlain had five in 1963–64.[57] Seeded sixth for the second consecutive postseason, the Warriors were defeated in seven games by the Los Angeles Clippers
NBA championship and MVP (2014–2015)
Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, the Warriors hired former NBA player and general manager Steve Kerr as their new head coach.[74] Kerr implemented significant changes to Golden State's schemes, including playing at a faster pace and giving Curry more freedom to shoot, helping the team evolve into a title contender.[75] On February 4, Curry scored a season-high 51 points in a win over the Dallas Mavericks.[76] He was the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game and won the Three-Point Contest on All-Star Saturday night.[77][78] On April 9, he broke his own league record for three-pointers made in a season during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.[79] The Warriors finished the year with 67 wins and Curry was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player after posting averages of 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 2 steals per game.[80] Over the course of the season, he sat out 17 fourth quarters due to Golden State's wide margins of victory.[81]
In Game 5 of the Conference Semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies, Curry became the first player in league history to register 6 three-pointers and six steals in a game.[82] In Game 6, he made a playoff career-high 8 three-pointers en route to a series-clinching victory.[83] In Game 3 of the Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets, he broke the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a single postseason.[84][85] The Warriors went on to defeat the Rockets to earn a Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Curry struggled to start the series, converting on only 22 percent of his field goals in Game 2.[86] In Game 5, he scored 37 points,[87] and in Game 6, Golden State closed out the series to win their first championship in 40 years.[88] For the Finals, Curry averaged 26 points and 6.3 assists per game.[87] The Warriors' playoff run was the first in which an All-NBA first team selection eliminated all other first team selections in on the way to a championship.
Unanimous MVP and historic season (2015–2016)
To start the 2015–16 season, Curry became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1989–90 to score 118 points in his team's first three games,[90] including a season-high 53 points against the New Orleans Pelicans in the third game.[91] The Warriors made NBA history on November 24 when they became the first team ever to start 16–0 with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers,[92] before improving to 24–0 on December 11 with a double-overtime win over the Boston Celtics.[93] Their streak was broken the following day against the Milwaukee Bucks.[94] On December 28, Curry recorded his sixth career triple-double with 23 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 122–103 win over the Sacramento Kings. During the game, Curry was guarded by his brother Seth for the first time in their NBA careers.[95] On January 22, he recorded his second triple-double of the season with 39 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 122–110 win over the Indiana Pacers. He made 8 three-pointers in the game to reach 200 for the season, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in four straight seasons.[96] On February 3, he made 11 three-pointers (including seven in the first quarter) and scored 51 points (including a career-high 36 points in the first half) to lead the Warriors past the Washington Wizards 134–121. His 51 points tied Gilbert Arenas and Michael Jordan for the Verizon Center record.
regular season, Curry became the seventh player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club, representing the shooting percentages from the field (.504), beyond the arc (.454), and the free-throw line (.908).[107] The league's leading scorer at 30.1 points per game, he posted the highest scoring average of the first 29 50–40–90 seasons.[89] Curry was named the league's first ever unanimous MVP, becoming the 11th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons and the first guard to do so since Steve Nash in 2004–05 and 2005–06.[108] His scoring average increase of 6.3 is the largest ever by a reigning MVP.[89]
In the 2016 playoffs, the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round despite Curry only playing in the first half of Games 1 and 4 due to injury.[109][110][111] A right MCL injury kept him out of the first three games of the second round.[112] In Game 4 of the second-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Curry came off the bench to score 40 points in a 132–125 overtime win;[113] 17 of those points came in the extra period, an NBA record for points scored by an individual in overtime.[114] Curry led the Warriors to a 4–1 victory over the Trail Blazers, as they moved on to the Western Conference Finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. After going down 3–1, he helped the Warriors rally to win the series 4–3 and advance to their second straight NBA Finals.
In the Finals, Curry's play relative to his regular season performance remained inconsistent, as it had been since he returned from injury against Portland;[116] still, he broke Danny Green's record of 27 three-pointers made in a Finals.[117] Despite being up 3–1 in the series, the Warriors were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games and became the first team in NBA Finals history to lose a series after leading 3–1. In the game seven loss, Curry scored 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
Back-to-back championships (2016–2018)
On October 28, 2016, Curry hit four three-pointers against the New Orleans Pelicans to reach 1,600 for his career, becoming the 19th player to do so, as well as the fastest to reach the mark.[119] On November 4, Curry's NBA-record streak of 157 straight games with at least one made three-pointer was snapped during the Warriors' 117–97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers after he went 0-of-10 from three-point range. He had hit a three-pointer in every regular-season game since November 11, 2014.[120] Three days later, he hit 13 three-pointers against New Orleans, setting an NBA record for most three-pointers made in a regular-season game. Curry shot 16-of-26 overall against the Pelicans for his first 40-point game of the season, finishing with 46 in a 116–106 win.[121] On December 11, Curry hit 2 three-pointers against the Minnesota Timberwolves to pass Steve Nash for 17th on the NBA's career three-pointers list.[122]
Curry helped the Warriors sweep through the first two rounds of the playoffs.[128] In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Curry scored 40 points and hit a tying three-pointer with 1:48 remaining to help the Warriors rally from a 25-point deficit to win 113–111; the Warriors overcame their largest halftime deficit ever in the postseason at 20 points.[129] This was the second time in the season that the Warriors came back from a 20-point deficit against the Spurs.[130] In a 120–108 Game 3 win, Curry scored 21 points and became the franchise leader in postseason points, passing Rick Barry. They went up 3–0 in the series, becoming the third team in NBA history to win their first 11 playoff games.[131] His 36 points in Game 4 led to a 129–115 victory that saw the Warriors advance to the NBA Finals for a third straight year while becoming the first team in league history to start the playoffs 12–0.[132] In Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Curry recorded his first career postseason triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Warriors go up 2–0 in the series with a 132–113 win.[133] Curry helped the Warriors clinch the series and the championship in Game 5 with 34 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds, as Golden State claimed its second title in three years
the Warriors' 127–123 win over the Sacramento Kings.[168] On January 11, in a 146–109 win over the Chicago Bulls, Curry made 5 three-pointers to surpass Jason Terry (2,282) and move into third place all-time in NBA history behind Ray Allen (2,973) and Reggie Miller (2,560).[169] Two days later, he scored 48 points and hit a season high-tying 11 three-pointers in a 119–114 win over the Dallas Mavericks.[170] On January 16, he scored 41 points with 9 three-pointers to become the first player in NBA history to make eight or more 3s in three straight games, as the Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 147–140.[171] On January 31, he scored 41 points with 10 three-pointers in a 113–104 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.[172] On February 21, he scored 36 points with 10 three-pointers in a 125–123 win over the Kings.[173] On March 16 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Curry reached 16,000 career points.[174] On March 29, he made 11 three-pointers and scored 37 points in a 131–130 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.[175] On April 2, in a 116–102 win over the Nuggets, Curry made 5 or more three-pointers in a career-best nine straight games and moved past Mullin for fourth place on the Warriors all-time points list.[176] On April 5, he scored 40 points in a 120–114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, thus moving past Arizin for third place on the Warriors all-time points list
The Warriors entered the playoffs as the first seed in the Western Conference with a 57–25 record. In Game 1 of the Warriors' first-round playoff series against the Clippers, Curry scored 38 points and made 8 three-pointers to give him the most in postseason history, passing Ray Allen (385). He also had a postseason career-high 15 rebounds and seven assists in a 121–104 win.[178] In Game 6 of the second round, Curry bounced back from the first scoreless first half of his playoff career to score 33 points in the last two quarters to help the Warriors eliminate the Houston Rockets with a 118–113 win and advance to the Western Conference Finals.[179] In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, Curry matched his postseason career high with 9 three-pointers to finish with 36 points in a 116–94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[180] Curry faced his brother Seth in that Finals series, making them the first set of brothers to face each other in an NBA playoff series.[181] He averaged a series career-high 36.5 points to help the Warriors sweep the Trail Blazers. It was the highest average by a player in a four-game sweep in NBA history.[182] Curry became the sixth player in NBA history to score 35 or more in the first four games of a series.[a] In Game 4, he had 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 119–117 overtime win,[184] as he and Draymond Green became the first teammates in league history to have a triple-double in the same playoff game.[183] In Game 3 of the 2019 Finals, Curry scored a playoff career-high 47 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists in a 123–109 loss to the Toronto Raptors.[185] In Game 5, he helped the Warriors stave off elimination with 31 points in a 106–105 win, cutting the Raptors' series lead to 3–2.[186] In Game 6, Curry scored 21 points, but shot just 6 for 17 and went 3 of 11 on three-pointers, including missing a contested three-pointer in the waning moments, as the Warriors lost the game and the series with a 114–110 defeat.
Injury and comeback (2019–2021)
Curry was expected to take on a greater offensive load in the 2019–20 season with Thompson out injured and Kevin Durant having left the Warriors as a free agent. On October 30, 2019, against the Phoenix Suns in the fourth game of the season, Curry drove to the basket and collided with the Suns' Aron Baynes, who was trying to take a charge. Baynes fell on Curry's left hand, which required surgery to repair his broken second metacarpal. He was expected to be out at least three months.[188] On March 5, 2020, Curry returned against the Raptors and recorded 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a 121–113 Warriors' loss.[189]
On December 27, 2020, Curry put up 36 points in a 129–128 win over the Chicago Bulls. With this game, he joined Ray Allen and Reggie Miller as the only players to have scored more than 2,500 career three-pointers in NBA history.[190][191] On January 3, 2021, Curry scored a career-high 62 points in a 137–122 win against the Portland Trail Blazers.[192][193] On January 4, he was named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference.[194] On January 23, in a game against the Utah Jazz, Curry hit 5 three-pointers, moving his career total up to 2,562, passing Miller to move up to second in the NBA's career three-pointers list, trailing only Allen.[195] At the 2021 All-Star Game, he won his second Three-Point Contest after making his last shot in the final round to edge Mike Conley Jr. 28–27.[196] On March 15, against the Los Angeles Lakers, Curry passed Guy Rodgers (4,855) as the franchise's leader in career assists.[197]
On April 12, Curry scored 53 points in a 116–107 win against the Denver Nuggets, and he surpassed Chamberlain (17,783) to become the franchise's all-time scoring leader.[198][199][200] It was part of an 11-game stretch in April in which Curry scored at least 30 points each game, surpassing Kobe Bryant's previous record for a player age 33 or older. Curry also had 78 three-pointers during that span, the most in NBA history over 11 regular season games.[201] His play rekindled talk of him being a candidate for his third MVP award.[201][202] He was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for April after averaging 37.3 points (the oldest player in NBA history to average more than 35 points per game in a single month) on 51.8% shooting and scoring 30 or more points in 13 of his 15 games. He became first NBA player to average 35 points and shoot 50–40–90 in a calendar month. His 96 three-pointers were an NBA record for a month, breaking James Harden's mark of 82 set in November 2019. Curry made 46.6% of his 3's in that span, including four games in which he made 10 or more three-pointers.[203] He scored 46 points in the regular-season finale against Memphis to hold off Bradley Beal and secure his second scoring title as the oldest player in NBA history to average more than 30 points per game in a single season, finishing with a 32.0 point average
All-time 3-point leader, fourth championship, Finals MVP (2021–2022)
Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Curry logged 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in a 107–97 victory over the Boston Celtics to even the series at 2–2. He became the first player in NBA history to make 5+ threes in four consecutive Finals games. Curry (at age 34 years, 88 days) also became the second-oldest player in NBA Finals history to record a 40-point, 10-rebound game behind only LeBron James in 2020 (at age 35 years, 284 days).[222] In Game 5 of the Finals, Curry passed Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek for 10th on the all-time Finals assists list.[223] In Game 6 of the Finals, Curry scored 34 points along with seven rebounds, seven assists, and led the Warriors to a 103–90 victory over the Celtics. He was named the NBA Finals MVP unanimously after averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.[224] Curry was also the final recipient of the award named in honor of Bill Russell before the basketball legend's death in July 2022.
Malone's record for the most points in a playoff game at age 35 or older.[242][243][244] Two weeks later, Jayson Tatum scored 51 points in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers, setting a new scoring record.[245] In Game 4 of the conference semifinals against the Lakers, Curry logged his third postseason career triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists, and three steals in a 104–101 loss. In the same game, he also became the first NBA player to ever score 4,000 career threes.[246][247][248] The Warriors were eliminated in six games, despite Curry's 32-point outing in a 122–101 closeout loss in Game 6.[249]
2023–present
On November 1, 2023, Curry became the first player in NBA history to make a three-pointer in 250 consecutive regular season games.[250] On November 3, he scored a game-winning layup in a 141–139 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.[251] On December 16, Curry scored 37 points on 14-for-22 shooting, including 6-for-8 from beyond the arc in a 124–120 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. He became the first player in NBA history to record at least 3,500 career three-pointers.[252][253] On January 27, 2024, Curry scored 46 points, including a then-season-high nine three-pointers, in a 145–144 double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[254]
