Stephen Curry

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Lore & Background

Curry played collegiately for the Davidson Wildcats, where he was named Southern Conference Player of the Year once (in 2008). He set the NCAA single-season record for three-pointers made (162) as a sophomore and led the NCAA Division I in scoring during his junior year. Curry was selected by the Warriors as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. In 2014–15, Curry won his first league MVP award and led the Warriors to their first championship since 1975. The following season, he became the first player to be unanimously voted MVP and to lead the league in scoring while shooting above 50–40–90. That same year, the Warriors broke the record for most wins in a regular season (73) en route to the 2016 NBA Finals, where they lost a 3–1 series lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Curry then helped the Warriors win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, and reach the 2019 NBA Finals, where they fell to the Toronto Raptors in six games. In 2021, Curry led the league in scoring for a second time. The following season Curry won his fourth championship and first Finals MVP award in 2022, leading the Warriors past the Boston Celtics in six games. That same season, he became the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made, surpassing Ray Allen. Curry has the highest career free-throw percentage in NBA history (.912) and has led the league in three-pointers made a record eight times. In 2016, he broke his own record for three-pointers made in a regular season, with 402, and made at least one three-pointer in an NBA-record 268 consecutive games from 2018 to 2023. Curry was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2016 and has been listed by Forbes as one of the world's ten highest-paid athletes nine times. He has also been listed as the highest paid NBA player for a record nine consecutive seasons and has led the NBA in worldwide jersey sales six times.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Steph Curry's career is defined by specific moments of historic significance. In 2022, he won his fourth championship and first Finals MVP award, leading the Warriors past the Boston Celtics in six games. That same season, he became the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made, surpassing Ray Allen. His resilience was evident during his sophomore year at Davidson when he scored 40 points against seventh-seeded Gonzaga to secure their first NCAA tournament win since 1969, and later when he scored 33 points to lead them past third-seeded Wisconsin in the Elite 8. Curry's individual records are equally remarkable. In 2016, he broke his own record for three-pointers made in a regular season with 402. From 2018 to 2023, he made at least one three-pointer in an NBA-record 268 consecutive games. He also holds the highest career free-throw percentage in NBA history (.912) and has led the league in three-pointers made a record eight times. In 2021, he led the league in scoring for a second time.

Reader's Guide

Curry was born on March 14, 1988, at Summa Health Akron Campus in downtown Akron, Ohio. His father, Dell Curry was a professional basketball player, and his mother, Sonya Adams, is an educator and author. He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his father spent most of his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets. He played with his younger brother Seth on their backyard basketball court in Charlotte. The family briefly moved to Toronto, Canada, where Dell finished out his career as a member of the Toronto Raptors. During this time, Curry played for the Queensway Christian College boys' basketball team, leading them to an undefeated season. He was also a member of Toronto 5–0, a club team that plays across Ontario, pitting him against fellow future NBA players Cory Joseph and Kelly Olynyk. Curry led the team to a 33–4 record, en route to winning the provincial championship. After Dell's retirement, the family moved back to Charlotte and Curry enrolled at Charlotte Christian School, where he was named all-conference and all-state, and led his team to three conference titles and three state playoff appearances. Because of his father's storied career at Virginia Tech, Curry wanted to play college basketball for the Hokies, but was only offered a walk-on spot due in part to his slender 160-pound frame. He ultimately chose to attend Davidson College, which had aggressively recruited him from the tenth grade.

Did You Know?

• Curry set the NCAA single-season record for three-pointers made (162) as a sophomore.
• He became the first player to be unanimously voted NBA MVP in 2015–16.
• Curry has the highest career free-throw percentage in NBA history (.912).
• He made at least one three-pointer in an NBA-record 268 consecutive games from 2018 to 2023.