Stephen Curry Just Made NBA History and in the Process Proved the ‘Old’ Golden State Warriors Are Officially Back
Stephen Curry is already one of the greatest players in NBA history. His shooting range, and offensive game in general, have changed the way basketball is played entirely. He’s also led the Golden State Warriors to three championships and has two MVPs to his name.
Right now, Chef Curry has the Warriors atop the Western Conference and is still, somehow, breaking NBA records.
His most recent historic accomplishment saw him bypass Wilt Chamberlain and proves the Warriors are back to their ‘old’ selves once again.
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA through 10 games
Golden State is 9-1 through the first 21 days of the season. They lead the Utah Jazz, who finished with the best record in the West last season, by two games.
Record-wise, the Warriors are the best team in the league. The statistics back it up as well, as even without Klay Thompson and James Wiseman, Golden State has been dominant on both ends of the floor.
At this point in Curry’s career, he’s expected to lead an offensive juggernaut. And he is. The Warriors are No. 1 in the league in scoring (115.2 points per game) and assists (30.3 per night), third in field goal percentage (47.2), and second in 3-point percentage (38.6).
But Golden State’s dominance on defense has been its biggest revelation thus far in 2021-22.
Steph and Co. lead the league in defensive rating by a wide margin. They’re averaging the second-most defensive rebounds per night, are fourth in the league in steals, and don’t allow teams easy points — the Warriors are third in the NBA in second-chance points allowed and fourth in opponent points in the paint.
Simply put, Golden State is ruling the league, and Curry is at the forefront.
Now, The Baby-Faced Assassin has added another feather to his cap.
Curry dropped 50 points and 10 assists in the Warriors win over Atlanta
Heading into Golden State’s game against the Hawks, Steph had been held to 20 points or less in four straight games. It’s the first time that’s happened since 2014, according to CBS Sports.
Obviously, the former Davidson star was going to break out of his slump, and he did — in historic fashion.
Curry’s 50-point, 10-assist night not only led the Warriors to their ninth win of the season, it also put him alongside Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry in franchise history and ahead of Wilt the Stilt in the league’s record books.
Steph’s night sent him soaring past Chamberlain to become the oldest player in league history to finish a game with 50 points and 10 dimes.
The 33-year-old guard was 9-of-19 from three in the win and 14-of-28 overall. He also finished the night with seven rebounds, and fitting neatly into the Warriors’ defensive stranglehold on the league this year, added three steals and a block.
Oh, and Atlanta led by 15 in the final few minutes of the first half. By the end of the third quarter, Curry and the Warriors led by 17.
Steph is making NBA history as the Warriors are turning back the clock
The Human Torch led Golden State in scoring when this franchise iteration won its first NBA championship in 2015.
He averaged more than 30 points the following year when the Warriors bested Michael Jordan and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the best regular-season record in league history.
Even with Kevin Durant on the team in 2016-17, Steph still led the Warriors in scoring and the team to another championship, cruising past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals.
For good measure, he tied Durant for the team lead in scoring when Golden State won the 2018 NBA title, its third in four seasons.
Curry just added another piece of NBA history to his resume. And the way he’s lighting up the league right now, there’s a more-than-decent chance the future Hall of Famer adds another championship to it as well.
All statistics courtesy of NBA.com.
