Stephen Curry

Growing Up with Sports

Stephen Curry is a basketball player for the Golden State Warriors and was the first person to be named Most Valuable Player by unanimous vote in NBA history. He was born on March 14, 1988, and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Curry is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry, and he learned the basics of basketball from playing with his father. While his father was on road trips playing with his team, Curry's mother Sonya, a former Division I volleyball athlete, encouraged him to keep playing and honing his skills in the game.

Electrifying the Nation

Curry went to Davidson College and impressed with his talents in shooting and ball-handling, although larger schools such as his father's alma mater, Virginia Tech, did not offer him a scholarship. At Davidson, Curry quickly established himself as one of the most electrifying players in college basketball. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, he scored 40 points against Gonzaga University, 30 against Georgetown University, and 33 against the University of Wisconsin as Davidson advanced to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats came within two points of eventual national champion Kansas, losing 59-57. Curry returned to Davidson for one more season and led the nation in scoring before entering the NBA Draft.

In 2009, Curry was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 17.5 points per game as a rookie and finished second in balloting for Rookie of the Year. Curry also earned a spot on the USA Men's Basketball Senior National Team and won a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Early in his NBA career, ankle injuries caused him to miss significant time, but he recovered and continued his upward trajectory. During the 2012-13 season, Curry set an NBA single-season record by making 272 three-pointers.

The Birth of a Star

Curry and fellow Warriors guard Klay Thompson became known as the Splash Brothers because of their incredible long-range shooting. During the 2014-15 season, the Warriors won 67 games, and Curry was named NBA Most Valuable Player. He led Golden State to the 2015 NBA championship, the franchise's first title since 1975.

The following season was even more remarkable. Curry made 402 three-pointers, breaking his own single-season record, and helped the Warriors finish the regular season with an NBA-record 73 victories. In May 2016, he became the first player in NBA history to be named MVP by a unanimous vote. During his MVP speech, Curry explained that his success came from valuing skill, working every day, and continuing to improve. The Warriors returned to the NBA Finals that season but lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers after leading the series three games to one.

Three Championships in Four Years

Curry helped the Warriors return to the NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018, both times against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Golden State won both series, giving Curry three NBA championships in four seasons. With Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant forming the core of the team, the Warriors became one of the NBA's dominant teams of the decade. Curry continued to be known for his shooting range, quick release, ball-handling, and ability to move without the ball.

Golden State reached a fifth consecutive NBA Finals in 2019, but the Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors. The series also brought major injuries to the team. Durant suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee. Curry then broke his left hand early in the 2019-20 season and played only five games. For the first time in years, the Warriors were far from the championship picture.

The NBA's Three-Point King

Curry returned to form and continued climbing the NBA record book. On December 14, 2021, at Madison Square Garden, he made the 2,974th three-pointer of his regular-season career, passing Ray Allen to become the NBA's all-time leader in made three-pointers. The achievement reflected how dramatically Curry's shooting had changed the possibilities of NBA offense. His willingness to shoot accurately from well beyond the three-point line forced defenses to guard larger areas of the court.

A Fourth Championship

The Warriors returned to the NBA Finals in 2022, this time against the Boston Celtics. Curry produced one of the most important postseason performances of his career. He scored 43 points in Game 4 to help Golden State tie the series at two games apiece. The Warriors then won Games 5 and 6 to capture the championship. Curry scored 34 points in the deciding game and averaged 31.2 points in the series. He was unanimously selected as NBA Finals MVP, winning that award for the first time and earning the fourth NBA championship of his career.

Olympic Gold in Paris

Curry had already won gold medals with the United States at the 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Championships, but he had never played in the Olympics. That changed at the 2024 Paris Games. Curry helped the United States reach the gold-medal game against host nation France. In the final, he scored 24 points and made eight three-pointers. With France threatening late in the fourth quarter, Curry made four three-pointers in the final minutes. The United States won 98-87, giving Curry his first Olympic gold medal.

25,000 Points and 4,000 Three-Pointers

Curry continued reaching major milestones in 2025. On March 8, he became the 26th player in NBA history to score 25,000 regular-season career points. Less than a week later, on March 13, he became the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 regular-season three-pointers. The milestone came against the Sacramento Kings, nearly four years after he had passed Ray Allen for the career record.

Curry continued playing for the Golden State Warriors through the 2025-26 season. By then, his career included four NBA championships, two regular-season MVP awards, a Finals MVP award, an Olympic gold medal, numerous All-Star and All-NBA selections, and the NBA career record for made three-pointers. More than a decade after becoming a star, his long-range shooting remained the defining feature of a career that helped make the three-point shot an increasingly important part of professional basketball.