The 2025–26 NBA season has barely begun, and Stephen Curry has already reminded fans why the conversation around greatness always circles back to him.

In just his second game of the new season, the 37-year-old delivered another masterpiece.

42 points, six three-pointers, and one cold-blooded dagger from 34 feet to tie the game against Denver.

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The Warriors would go on to win 137–131 in overtime, a result that owed everything to Curry's familiar brand of brilliance.

Even as Aaron Gordon poured in a career-high 50 points for the Nuggets, it was Curry who stole the moment. His calm, his timing, and his trust in his own impossible shot selection turned another NBA night into another chapter of inevitability.

The greatest shooter of all time is still redefining what greatness looks like.

A career that redefined basketball

Curry's story isn't just about longevity or accolades, though those alone could define a career.

  • Four NBA championships.
  • Two MVPs, including the first unanimous selection in league history.
  • Two scoring titles.
  • The all-time leader in made three-pointers.

His name sits across nearly every major shooting record in existence.

But Curry's influence reaches beyond numbers or trophies.

When the Warriors drafted him seventh overall in 2009, few imagined that the skinny 6-foot-2 guard from Davidson would alter the game. Yet, through a blend of precision, range, and efficiency, he stretched the floor further than anyone thought possible.

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Defences once designed to protect the paint suddenly had to guard 30 feet from the rim. Offences that used to rely on size and post play began to revolve around spacing and rhythm.

Curry didn't just thrive in the three-point revolution; he created it.

His shooting turned from a skill into an era-defining strategy.

Why Curry stands alone

Curry's greatness lies not only in his range but in how he uses it.

He doesn't overpower defenders, but he disorients them. He breaks teams apart with rhythm, anticipation, and relentless off-ball movement. His quick release and perfect balance make shots from 30 feet look as natural as a layup.

He's the NBA's rarest paradox: predictable yet unstoppable. Everyone knows what's coming, but no one can stop it.

And Curry's brilliance isn't limited to the arc. His ball-handling and creativity are as iconic as his jumper.

One of his most memorable plays came in March 2015 against the Los Angeles Clippers, when he danced through multiple defenders, splitting a double team before hitting a step-back three. It was a reminder that for all the talk of his shooting, Curry's handle might be just as mesmerising.

Then came Oklahoma City, February 27, 2016.

With less than a second left in overtime, the reigning MVP pulled up from 32 feet and drilled the winner to silence the Thunder crowd. Twelve threes that night, a new single-season record for triples, and a single moment that became basketball folklore.

These plays didn't just win games; they changed how fans and players imagined what was possible.

A career of firsts

From Golden State's 2015 title run to their record-breaking 73-win season, Curry has been the engine behind one of the NBA's most dominant dynasties.

He became the first player ever to make 400 threes in a season, the league's only unanimous MVP, and a two-time scoring champion. In 2022, he filled the lone gap on his resume by winning Finals MVP after leading the team to its fourth championship of the decade.

Every milestone has carried the same theme: precision, perseverance, and joy. Curry has built a career not only on success but on how he achieves it, with humility and a sense of play that made even casual fans fall in love with the sport again.

In 2024, he added another jewel to his collection: an Olympic gold medal in Paris. His heroics in the knockout rounds proved that even on the international stage, his influence and efficiency remain unmatched.

Legacy beyond the arc

Beyond the accolades, Curry's cultural impact is impossible to overstate.

He made the deep three-pointer mainstream. He inspired a generation to pull up from impossible range and forced coaches to rethink what good shot selection even means.

Every gym, from suburban driveways to packed arenas, now echoes with his influence. Kids imitate his form. Pros mirror his spacing. Teams structure entire offences around the concept of “gravity”, a term that barely existed before Curry entered the league.

He made small guards dream bigger and turned the underdog archetype into the blueprint for success. Through his efficiency and fearlessness, Curry proved that basketball greatness doesn't have to rely on size or strength.

It can live in precision, rhythm, and imagination.

The standard of greatness

When the GOAT debate surfaces, it usually centres around dominance, such as Jordan's killer instinct, LeBron's longevity, and Kobe's relentless drive.

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But Curry's case is built differently.

His greatness isn't about overpowering opponents; it's about outthinking and outmoving them.

He changed not only how basketball is played, but how it's taught, watched, and dreamed about. The sport's modern identity, spacing, tempo, pace, and shooting all carry his fingerprints.

Sixteen seasons in, the league still bends to his rhythm. Defences still panic when he crosses half-court. Fans still hold their breath when he rises for a shot, because more often than not, it's going in.

He turned shooting into a weapon, joy into dominance, and the Warriors into one of the most influential teams ever assembled.

The conversation about the greatest player of all time will never have a single answer. But when it comes to transforming the game, inspiring generations, and mastering basketball's purest act, Stephen Curry stands alone.

He didn't just change the game; he changed what's possible within it.

And if this season's opening act is any indication, he's not done yet.

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