Two months ago, the Golden State Warriors looked all but finished. A sad, disappointing ending to one of the most storied and successful teams in the history of the NBA. It appeared as if we had already witnessed the last truly competitive basketball we might ever see from Stephen Curry and co.
Then, Jimmy Butler happened.
On the brink of the NBA trade deadline, the Warriors made what seemed to be a last-ditch effort to give their franchise player a final shot at success. Many around the league saw their trade for Jimmy Butler as a “desperate” effort to revive a team that was already dead in the water. Nevertheless, General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. made the move, and thus far it has proved to be a stroke of genius.
Since the trade, the Warriors have won twelve of their last fourteen games, nearly all in a convincing and downright dominant fashion. Since Feb. 8 (Butler’s first game for Golden State), the Dubs have the second highest net rating (+12.2) in the league, only trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers. Suddenly, a team that looked anemic on offense and exhausted on defense has a life and vigor that lends one to believe they may be able to make a deep playoff run. However, none of this would be possible without the superhuman efforts of Stephen Curry.
Just last week, the baby-faced assassin went on a bloodthirsty rampage, singlehandedly carrying the Warriors to a come-from-behind victory against the Orlando Magic.
I’m still not entirely sure I can comprehend exactly what Curry was able to do. Despite only seeing thirty-four minutes of action, Curry amassed 56 points while knocking down twelve three-pointers! Among the highlights of this masterclass in long-distance shooting, he managed to sink a half-court buzzer beater from fifty-one feet away. Fifty-one!!
Barely a week later, Curry went off for 40 points against the Brooklyn Nets. Amongst the absurdity of his shooting stood perhaps the most ridiculous shot I have ever seen. As the time was ticking down to end the first half, Butler handed the ball of to Curry just in front of the half-court line. Not only was he nearly 40 feet away from his own basket, but Curry was also facing the opposite direction while being double teamed. Somehow with barely a glance at his target, he rose up for the jump-shot, fading away, and launched it a trajectory that I swear could have touched the moon…
Swish.
It is easy to forget that Curry is about to be 37 years old because he simply shouldn’t be able to do this. He is rewriting the rules of what is physically possible to accomplish: a six foot two point guard has never dominated the league like this, much less so late into his career. This is not normal.
To be fair though, nothing about Curry’s career has been normal.
When you think of the players who have defined eras in the NBA; Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, just to name a few, what do they all have in common? Supreme athletic ability combined with supernatural talent. Mere mortals such as myself could never dream of being “like Mike” because I simply wasn’t born as a 6 foot 6 athletic freak who could jump out of the gym. Steph though? He is the anomaly. The exception that proves the rule.
Even during his days at Davidson College, Steph was never the most athletic nor the biggest player on the court, if anything it was usually the opposite. When he entered the league there were a myriad of questions and concerns about whether his body would be able to withstand the physical nature of the next level of competition.
In perhaps one of the most infamous draft-day statements of all time, NBA analyst Doug Gottlieb declared that Curry “didn’t have the upside of Rubio. Jennings, Flynn, Mills, or Teague all more athletic”. For a bit of perspective, those five players have collectively managed zero All-NBA selections between them.
Curry has ten.
Looking back on this with hindsight, it seems a bit absurd that Curry wasn’t unanimously considered the best player in his draft class. The fact is though, the landscape of the league when he entered was vastly different to what it is now, and so it would seem reasonable to have doubts around his potential impact. So what did Gottlieb (and almost everyone else) miss?
It is possible that Steph has mastered the skill of shooting more than any other athlete in any sport has refined a singular talent. Messi’s ability to dribble. Nadal’s forehand. Brady’s accuracy. I am not sure that any of them have separated themselves from the rest of the pack as much as Curry has with his ability to shoot. It truly is otherworldly.
I could go on for days listing statistics that cement Steph’s status as the GOAT of shooting, however it would be pointless. It is already unanimously agreed upon. It is not a question of if he is, rather it is a question of the margin that separates him and the rest.
As it is, legends of the sport are starting to place Curry in the Mount Rushmore of athletes to play basketball. Perhaps most telling is that Shaquille O’Neal, the most diametrically opposed player to Steph, is asking that he be included in debates of the greatest to ever do it. For someone of Curry’s diminutive (for the NBA) size to be in these kind of discussions is truly incredible, and is something that should be celebrated.
Whether the Warriors win another title with Curry or not, his impact on the game will be remembered forever. Four championships. Two MVPs, one of which was unanimous (the only in NBA history). Eleven All-Stars. Ten All-NBA selections. A Finals MVP. Clutch Player of the Year. Scoring Champ. The list goes on and on.
So just make sure you don’t miss the greatness of Stephen Curry while he’s still playing — you’ll never see anything like it again.
