For all his otherworldly scoring exploits, it’s hard to believe that it took this long for Stephen Curry to move into the top 20 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list. 

At a time when the city of Minnesota was in a state of turmoil, it was Curry that proved to be the order in the chaos. Unfortunately for the Minnesota Timberwolves, they were on the wrong end of another virtuoso Curry performance. 

The start of the game didn’t see Curry come out with guns blazing; rather it was a display of the other things that made the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers more than just a shooter. Curry was a pest on the defensive end, tipping balls and igniting fastbreaks that he capped off with passes that ended up in baskets. Of course, a Curry special would not be complete without some offensive firepower and the team-high 26 points was a kindness for the Wolves with the game having been decided. 

Curry is not just one of the few people in the world that can drop 30 points in his sleep; he’s already established himself as the greatest shooter in NBA history. The four-time NBA champion has averaged at least three made 3-pointers in a game in all but three seasons and has twice averaged 30 points per game for an entire season. As great as these feats are in themselves, what puts this at an even higher plane is the fact that Curry continues to inch closer to 40 and isn’t really showing signs of slowing down. 

While everything around him is crumbling due to injury or bouts of consistency, Curry continues to play at an elite level. His 31.9 minutes per game this season may be his lowest since 2019-2020 (when he was limited to five games), but in those minutes, he has been more efficient in both his shooting (46.8 percent from the field) and ball security (2.8 turnovers per game) compared to his recent seasons. With Jimmy Butler out, more of the load will rest on Curry’s shoulders (his 32.5 percent usage rate is a five-year high) and he has thus far struck the balance between getting his teammates involved and going supernova when the need arises. 

Talk of Curry trade rumors have certainly not died down given his high level of play and the developments surrounding the Golden State Warriors. Much of this comes from how fans don’t want to see this version of Curry go to waste. However, Curry isn’t one to jump ship when the going gets tough; after all, he had endured two trying seasons before emerging as an NBA champion and Finals MVP in 2022. 

That being said, Stephen Curry will likely remain a Warrior until the end. There’s always that chance the Golden State front office will allow Curry one last dance in a more competitive environment, but it would be hard to imagine the player that has defined their success in a different jersey, much less a rival.