No one expected Stephen Curry to transcend basketball when he first joined the NBA in 2009. But after 14 years playing for the Golden State Warriors, he not only dominated the sport by winning four championship rings but has also reinvented the way the game is played. There’s no denying that Curry has established himself as the greatest shooter of all time. He is the main reason the NBA’s style of play has shifted to more long-range shots rather than the old throw-the-basket fouls. Without him, it’s hard to imagine whether the league would become what it is today.
That being said, Curry has also set many records during his NBA career. And at first glance, it seems like some of these records are almost impossible for anyone to break. Below, we take a look at five records the All-Star guard boasts that are unlikely to be beaten.
The player who shoots the most 3-pointers in NBA history
Before the three-point revolution changed the way basketball was played in the NBA, the shot was never an important factor in deciding a basketball game. But as the decades have passed, the long-range bomb has been used very effectively, especially by the Warriors since the emergence of Curry and his famous brother, Klay Thompson.
That’s why it makes sense for someone with Curry’s talent to hold the record for most 3-pointers in NBA history. As Golden State’s main offensive engine, the All-Star guard has the distinction of scoring the most from beyond the arc. To do that, Curry had to surpass Ray Allen’s 2,973 three-pointers made during the Hall-of-Fame shooter’s career. The former Davidson standout broke Allen’s record on December 14, 2021 against the New York Knicks in front of an ecstatic Madison Square Garden crowd.
As it stands, it would take a young star who started shooting at three years old in his career and has the longevity, talent and accuracy that Curry has to beat the record he would set when it’s time to hang up your sneakers for the last time. It’s worth mentioning that Curry’s career is far from over. It’s entirely possible that he will surpass the 4,000 mark, which would make the record even harder to break.
Most games feature nine or more 3-pointers
It’s really not easy to score three points in the NBA. Beyond the gap between the arc and the rim, there are elite defenders that make any shooter miserable throughout the 48 minutes of an NBA game. However, Curry hasn’t had many problems throughout his career as he holds the record for most games with nine or more three-point shots made in a single game. The Warriors star currently has 39 matches with this number 3.
For comparison, Damian Lillard has 13 and Klay Thompson has 12. The gap between the two stars and Curry is huge, and it won’t be easy for anyone in the NBA to break that record any time soon. What is certain, however, is that someone better than Lillard and Thompson – two excellent shooters in their own right – must have had plenty of playing time on an NBA court to come close to this achievement.
Most 3-point scores in a season
In addition to making the most 3-pointers in NBA history, Curry also holds the title for the longest-range bombs in a single season. Back in the 2015-16 campaign, the same period in which the Dubs posted a historic 73-9 regular season record, Curry hit a staggering 402 times.
Doing the math, that number accounted for 1,206 points of Curry’s scoring that season. Conversely, James Harden is second with 378 3-point shots made during the 2018-19 campaign. The achievement helps confirm Golden State’s impressive win-loss record during that time, a record previously held by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
Given the amount of offense generated by Curry’s talent for making three-pointers, it’s no surprise that the Warriors set an NBA record for most wins in a regular season. Fortunately for Curry, it may be a while before someone comes close to taking that number of shots from beyond the arc in a single campaign.
Consecutive games during the season with at least one 3-pointer
Although becoming a goalscorer will bring a player closer to the limelight, the difficulty of doing so at the elite level never decreases. That’s why Curry’s streak of making at least one shot from the 3-point line in 157 consecutive games is so astonishing.
Curry began his streak in November 2014 and scored three points in every game for two years. That lasted until November 2016, when the Golden State ‘All-Star went 0-for-10 against the LA Lakers, bringing the final total to 157 games.
The closest person to break this record is Kyle Korver, with a record of 127 matches. If Korver, one of the NBA’s greatest shooters ever, can’t equal the record, what makes you think anyone can threaten Curry’s historic achievement?
Highest free throw performance of all time
While Curry is known more for his talent at making three-pointers, he is even more reliable when sinking free throws. In fact, the Warriors star holds the NBA record for most efficient free throw percentage in league history at 90.87%. The closest to this mark is Hall of Fame defenseman Steve Nash, who made a 90.43% clip at the plate during his career.
This means that when Curry is at the free throw line, he is almost guaranteed to score. And like the records mentioned above, this will be a tough road before someone breaks it. Even his peers like LeBron James, and the superstars of tomorrow like Luka Doncic, don’t have the same offensive efficiency as him, so it’s safe to assume that no player will be able to surpass him. surpass Curry’s record in the near future.
As the new season gets underway, the current crop of NBA stars will have the opportunity to take one or more of these records from Stephen Curry. But you can be sure that gaming’s greatest ever shooter will also be motivated to maintain his record and possibly reach even greater heights.