Stephen Curry: Warriors All-Time Leading Scorer

Best free throw shooter of all time. The best three-point shooter of all time. Three-time NBA Champion. Two-time MVP. Stephen Curry’s career has been filled with groundbreaking accomplishments.  Monday night, he added yet another. With 21 first-quarter points, Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the Golden State Warriors’ all-time leading scorer.

21 first-quarter points for Stephen Curry as he passes Wilt to become the @warriors all-time scoring leader! pic.twitter.com/gcZZIcQzw0

— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2021

Three-Point Shooting

“Curry, way downtown, BANG, BANG, oh what a shot from Curry”.  That was Mike Breen’s call of Stephen Curry’s game-winner against the Thunder in 2016.  Over time, it has become a phrase NBA fans have heard over and over again.  At the heart of Curry’s scoring abilities are his three-point shooting skills.

Simply put, he is never out of range.  When Curry has the ball, he’s open.  Since his emergence, teams are yet to find a way to slow him down.  Currently, he holds records including most threes in a season, fewest games to reach 2000 threes, and most consecutive games with a three made.  Those are just the tip of the iceberg.  When he wants to shoot, he can.  The green light is always on.  There are no bad shots.

Changing the Game

No one has ever shot the ball like Stephen Curry.  No one had even tried to shoot like him. The game was played down low.  Big men were considered the backbone of a team.  Deep threes were considered bad and lazy looks.  Curry’s style of play transcended the game of basketball forever.

Small ball.  In a game where size seems to be so important, how is it possible teams are getting smaller and smaller?  It’s the effect Stephen Curry has had on the NBA.  Constantly creating mismatches, Curry has made it hard for old fashion big man to remain relevant.  They struggle to defend on the perimeter.  They are a liability.  With teams attempting more and more threes, opponents need better and better perimeter defenders.  As a result, the NBA is becoming guard-play dominated.

When asked how he views his impact on the game, Curry remained humble.  While accepting some credit, he stated that he prefers to continue looking forward.  He doesn’t like to look at how things have changed.  Rather, he prefers to look ahead and focus on the fun and opportunities he is going to continue to have while playing basketball.

What it Means to Him

12 years into his NBA career, Curry has accomplished nearly everything accomplishable.  Aside from a finals MVP, there are few accolades he has yet to attain.  Passing Chamberlain crossed off one of the few significant benchmarks remaining.

When highlighting what becoming the Warriors leading scorer means to him, Curry told the media he is honored to represent the warrior legends that came before him.

He later continued to express his appreciation for those that came before him.  Ultimately, he is driven to gain their respect.  Fans and media members will say whatever they want, but it is the respect of other players that is valuable and special.

What’s Next

More Threes.  Keep shooting Steph.