Curry, Stephen

Stephen Curry, in full Wardell Stephen Curry II, byname Steph, (born March 14, 1988, Akron, Ohio, U.S.), American professional basketball player who led the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to championships in 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2021–22 and to the best regular-season record in league history (73–9) in 2015–16.

Curry grew up immersed in basketball as the son of 16-year NBA veteran sharpshooter Dell Curry. The younger Curry learned the intricacies of the game from his father. His keen shooting and high “basketball IQ” were not enough to persuade college coaches to overlook his wiry frame and unremarkable 6-foot (1.8-metre) height. He did not receive scholarship offers from major college basketball programs and attended Davidson (North Carolina) College, which had an enrollment of fewer than 2,000 students. He quickly made his mark, however, averaging 21.5 points per game as a freshman to lead all first-year players in the country. Curry became a national sensation during his sophomore season, when he led 10th-seeded Davidson on an improbable run to the Elite Eight of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s top-division basketball championship tournament in a performance that featured what would soon be recognized as his signature shot: a three-pointer from well outside the line. His junior season did not feature any such postseason heroics, but his average of 28.6 points per game led the country, and he was named a consensus first-team All-American. He then entered the 2009 NBA draft, in which he was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

Curry made an immediate impact with the Warriors, becoming the team’s starting point guard and averaging 17.5 points per game in his first season. A series of ankle sprains led to Curry’s playing just 26 games in the 2011–12 season, and he underwent off-season ligament surgery. He then signed a modest four-year $44 million contract extension that allowed Golden State to surround its budding star with other talented players. Curry led the league in three-pointers made (272) in 2012–13. The following season he repeated that feat (with 261) and earned his first All-Star selection. In 2014–15 he made a then-record 286 three-pointers while leading the Warriors to an NBA-best 67–15 record and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the following postseason, Curry propelled the Warriors to the franchise’s first title in 40 years over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Curry led his team to even greater heights in 2015–16, as Golden State bested the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls’ 72–10 regular-season record by one additional victory. He also topped the NBA with an average of 30.1 points per game and shattered his own league standard by making an astounding 402 three-point shots. Curry earned his second consecutive MVP award for his efforts and became the first person to be voted MVP unanimously. However, the Warriors’ historic season ultimately ended in shocking disappointment as the team surrendered a 3–1 NBA finals lead to the Cavaliers.

In 2016–17 Curry led the NBA in three-point field goals made (324) for a fifth straight season as the Warriors again led the NBA in wins (67). Golden State then ran off an unprecedented 12 straight victories to open the postseason and won a third consecutive Western Conference title. The Warriors finally had a postseason loss in game four of the NBA finals, but the team rebounded to defeat the Cavaliers in five games to capture Curry’s second NBA title.

A knee injury limited Curry to 51 games during the 2017–18 regular season, ending his five-year run as the league leader in three-point field goals attempted and made. He returned during the second round of the playoffs to help the Warriors win their fourth consecutive conference championship and third NBA title (in a four-game sweep of the Cavaliers). Curry continued his dazzling play in 2018–19, averaging 27.3 points per game and earning first-team All-NBA honours. In the playoffs, he guided an injury-plagued Warriors team to a fifth straight conference title, the most in a row since the NBA instituted conferences in 1970–71. However, additional injuries and inspired play by the opposing Toronto Raptors led to a six-game Golden State loss in the finals. The Warriors entered the 2019–20 season shorthanded after losing fellow All-Stars Kevin Durant (departure via free agency) and Klay Thompson (season-ending injury during the 2019 finals). Curry himself played in just five games during that campaign after breaking his hand early in the season, which led to the Warriors having a league-worst record. Curry returned to form and had a fantastic 2020–21 season, leading the NBA with 32 points per game, but the team missed the playoffs despite having a winning record. In December 2021 Curry made yet another mark in the NBA history books by scoring his 2,974th career three-pointer, breaking the NBA record for all-time three-point field goals scored. Following another season-ending injury in 2020, Thompson rejoined the team in 2021–22 and helped the Warriors finally return to form, as Golden State won 53 games and qualified for the postseason. There, the team—and Curry—regained their dominance, losing just six games during the NBA playoffs to win a fourth title during Curry’s era, and he was named finals MVP after scoring 31.2 points per game during the six-game series win over the Boston Celtics.