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Stephen Curry, underestimated in high school, has gone on to become an era-defining talent and the best shooter in NBA history.
There are very few players who can truly transcend the game of basketball, but Curry is arguably one of them, which puts him among the greats of the game. But will he be able to do enough in the remainder of his career to enter the conversation as a top-5 NBA player of all time, though?
Stephen Curry is currently one of the most decorated players in the NBA. He has been the face of the Golden State Warriors for the past decade, leading them to three championships and five NBA Finals appearances.
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He is undoubtedly one of the greats of the game, an unselfish superstar who gets his teammates involved and plays basketball with a smile on his face. His three-point shooting and movement without the ball make him infuriating to guard for opposition defenses, and at times it is more important to just limit him rather than try to stop him.
The ability to pull up from 30 feet is a skill Curry has mastered and a style of play that's emulated on courts around the world by his fans.
Breaking into the top-5 NBA players of all time, though, is a tall task. The group is reserved for the undisputed greats, the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James. To do so, Stephen Curry will have to make a lasting impact on the game - which he already has - and the awards to go with it.
There are currently three things he must do to be in that discussion, Let's have a look at them:
#1 Stephen Curry needs to win another NBA title
To cement his place among the upper echelon of greats in the NBA, Stephen Curry will have to win another title, this time without Kevin Durant.
Yes, he led the Warriors to the championship in 2015; however, the Finals series that year is often viewed skeptically, considering the Cavs were without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. When the two were present in 2016, Cleveland overturned a 3-1 series lead to take revenge, and in doing so, forced the Warriors hand into signing Durant.
When KD was in the Golden State Warriors side for the entirety of the NBA Finals series the next two years, he was by far the best player on the floor and won both Finals MVP awards. When he tore his Achilles in 2019 against the Toronto Raptors, though, the Warriors were unable to complete a historic three-peat.
Considering the average age of the Warriors' best players, the next couple of seasons will be Stephen Curry's best chance of adding a fourth chip to his collection. He proved last year that he could lead a weakened roster to within touching distance of the playoffs by averaging 32 points a night. Should Klay Thompson return from injury firing, the two could propel the Dubs to glory once again.
For that to happen, though, their shooting will have to be as consistent as it has ever been, given the strength in depth of their opponents in the West. Overcome the likes of the LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns and the LA Clippers, and that could strengthen Stephen Curry's case to be a top-5 NBA all-time great.
#2 Stephen Curry needs to win an NBA Finals MVP award
Not only may Steph Curry have to win another title to enter the top-5 NBA players of all-time, he will also have to do so by being the best player in the NBA Finals, an award that has eluded him till now.
On an otherwise unblemished resume, Curry has missed out on the NBA Finals MVP trophy. However, he could have won the award in 2015 had it not been given to Andre Iguodala for his defense on LeBron James. When Curry tallied his highest points tally in a Finals series against Toronto (30.5), the Warriors lost, and Kawhi Leonard grabbed more rebounds than Curry and also shot at a higher rate.
Both in offense and defense in the regular season, the 33-year-old has won individual titles as an elite steal merchant and serial points scorer. However, he has yet to clinch the trophy that the likes of Jordan, James, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson have all won on multiple occasions.
A series-defining moment has also e;ided him. In fact, Stephen Curry is 0-8 on go-ahead shots with less than 20 seconds to go in his postseason career.
#3 Stephen Curry needs to crack the NBA's top-ten scorers list
Considering the unselfish nature of Stephen Curry and the gap he would have to make up in the all-time scorers' list, breaching the all-time top-five looks like a difficult proposition.
Curry is unmistakably the greatest shooter of his generation, and perhaps the greatest ever too. He has led the league in scoring twice, averaging 30+ points per game in both campaigns, and has shot at over 43% from the three throughout his career.
On the all-Time scorers list, he ranks 74th, his position helped by his insane run throughout April, where he put up 37 points per contest.
He currently has 18,434 career points, putting him 7,961 points outside the top 20. If he plays for another five seasons, Curry should comfortably reach that mark, sd he only needs to put up 22.7 points per night if he plays an average of 70 games per year.
If he wants to crack the top ten, though, he will most likely have to continue his immense scoring streak from last season and average over 24 points in 70 games for six years.
While that is not beyond the realm of possibilities, it would be outstanding if Stephen Curry were to enter the top-10 NBA scorers' list of all time. It is these type of feats that separate the five greatest NBA players from Curry.
