Getty Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry during his team's game against the Charlotte Hornets on November 14, 2021.
Steph Curry just left an NBA legend in his dust.
The Golden State Warriors‘ point guard is rocketing his way up several of the league’s all-time scoring marks. Already the most prolific 3-point shooter in history at the age of 33, Curry has combined longevity and excellence to put himself in position to become one of the greatest scorers the sport of basketball has ever seen.
Curry took another step toward that achievement Friday night, November 27, when he passed Chicago Bulls Hall-of-Fame wingman Scottie Pippen and moved into 62nd place on the NBA’s career scoring list.
He did so on the strength of 32 points in a 118-103 home victory over the Portland Trailblazers, helping the Warriors move to a league-best record of 17-2.
Curry Poised to Pass Several More Stars on Scoring List This Season
GettyGolden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry during his team’s game against the Brooklyn Nets on November 16, 2021.
Pippen is far from the final NBA great that Curry will overtake on the league’s list of top career scorers this season.
Now in his 13th year, Curry has scored 18,945 points over the course of his tenure in professional basketball. He is averaging 28.4 points per game thus far this season, per NBA.com, which leads the league. Kevin Durant, of the Brooklyn Nets, is in second at 28.1 points per night.
Curry has played in 18 of 19 games for the Warriors, and how far he moves up the career points list depends on how healthy he remains and how much rest Dubs head coach Steve Kerr decides to give him. But assuming relative health and a sit-rate like the one Kerr has employed to this point, Curry could end up playing 78 games. Should he maintain his current scoring clip of more than 28 points every time out, Curry will score another 1,692 points this season alone.
The cumulative total he would reach under that hypothetical scenario is 20,637 career points. That would slot Curry at 43rd on the all-time scoring list by year’s end, passing the likes of Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Bernard King (New York Knicks) and John Stockton (Utah Jazz).
That projection is static and does not take into account the movement of other active players on the list, of which there are three: Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers), LaMarcus Aldridge (Nets) and Chis Paul (Phoenix Suns). Paul will likely remain ahead of Curry on the list based on projections, and Aldridge also has a good chance of fending Curry off for at least another year. However, Curry is highly likely to pass Howard based on their respective minutes played and points per game averages.
Curry Shattering 3-Point Marks Over Last 2 Seasons
GettySteph Curry celebrates a play in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Curry became the league’s greatest 3-point shooter ever on November 12, passing Ray Allen for total 3-point shots made in a career.
The Dubs’ point guard already owns the single-season record for made 3-point shots with 402 and is on pace to shatter that mark with 421 makes in 2021-22, assuming he plays in 78 games and continues hitting 3s at his current clip.
Curry is attempting 13.1 shots from deep per game and making 5.4 of those, per Basketball Reference, both of which would be NBA records if the season ended today. Curry set the records in both of those categories last year, with 12.7 attempts and 5.3 makes per game.
The sustained greatness Curry has displayed now in his mid-30s is perhaps the single most important component in the Warriors hot start to the season and apparent return to the glory days of five straight NBA Finals appearances and three championship rings. The imminent return of his backcourt running mate Klay Thompson is just around the corner and when that happens, the resurrection of the Dubs’ dynasty will be complete.
Should the Warriors hold on to the top spot in the Western Conference and find their way back to the NBA’s promised land, fans can be sure that the path will be strewn with historic Curry performances along the way.