I started watching the NBA in the middle ’60s, back when the Celtics played the 76ers – meaning Bill Russell versus Wilt Chamberlain – on ABC every Sunday. I never saw George Mikan play, and I missed Bob Cousy except in cameo appearances as a player-coach for the Cincinnati Royals, but I’ve seen/covered everybody since.
I have no problem hailing Michael Jordan as the best ever, but I’ve been around long enough to offer the Veteran Scribe rebuttals when somebody anoints the latest as the greatest. (Here are two: “Wilt averaged 50.4 points a game,” and “Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double.” Both those things happened in the same season – 1961-62.) I snorted in derision when ESPN’s countdown of the NBA’s top 100 players had Elgin Baylor at No. 24.
But enough context. Here goes:
I have seen better players than Stephen Curry, though not many. I have never seen anyone play the way Stephen Curry is playing.
Last week I covered the Hawks' game against Golden State. Curry scored 36 points on 22 shots and had six rebounds and eight assists. I left believing I'd witnessed a Great Player have a Great Game. It was his worst of the week.
Two nights later in Miami: 42 points on 29 shots. The night after that in Orlando: 51 points on 27 shots. Then Saturday in Oklahoma City: 46 points on 24 shots, including what might well be the most memorable basket in NBA regular-season history.
(Feel free to argue. Wilt’s 99th and 100th points in Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962, would be the only other hoop I’d consider, and it came with 46 seconds remaining in a game his Philadelphia Warriors won 169-147. It’s not entirely clear what kind of shot Wilt made to break triple figures; the game wasn’t televised and no film exists. Some say a layup; most say a Dipper dunk.)
Golden State’s game was televised live on ABC. The Warriors’ frenzied rally to force overtime was stunning. The first 4:50 of OT was tremendous: Kevin Durant fouled out but Russell Westbrook kept the Thunder from falling behind; Curry made two treys; Klay Thompson made two huge baskets. The final 10 seconds will live forever.
Westbrook missed. Draymond Green rebounded and passed to Curry, who proceeded in no special hurry. (Golden State didn’t call timeout.) Even as he was in backcourt, you knew he wasn’t passing. The OKC bench started gesturing to Andre Roberson to challenge even as Curry was crossing midcourt. By the time Roberson closed, Curry had stopped and risen. On the bench, Thunder center Enes Kanter flung both hands in frustration as the ball was 10 feet from the hoop.
This was a 32-footer under complete control to win a classic game on a night when Curry set/tied three records — most 3-pointers in consecutive games, most in a season and most in a game. (Oh, and he’d also tweaked his ankle.)
We note that no defense is set to guard a shooter 32 feet away because … well, who takes a 32-footer? But that’s a shot that Curry alone has come to make. From ESPN Stats & Information: “Curry from 30+ feet this season: 11-22 (50 percent). Rest of the NBA from 30+ feet: 53-669 (7.9 percent).”
A year ago, the Hawks’ Kyle Korver had what some called the greatest shooting season ever: He averaged 2.9 treys on 49.2 percent 3-point shooting. Curry is averaging 5.1 treys on 46.8 percent 3-point shooting. Korver averaged 12.1 points last season. Curry is averaging 30.7 points a year after he averaged 23.8 and was the league’s MVP. In the history of pro basketball, nobody has ever been that good and gotten exponentially better.
Curry has been a very good player since he arrived in the NBA out of Davidson, where he nearly lifted the Wildcats to the 2008 Final Four. It took him until his fifth season to make second-team All-NBA, and only last year did he become a fully minted superstar. Now he’s playing a game – citing Bobby Jones on Jack Nicklaus – with which we’re not familiar. Who takes such shots? Who makes such shots?
Tweet from the Heat’s Dwyane Wade on Saturday night: “Curry is UNREAL!!!!!”
From the Raptors’ Demar DeRozan: “He can’t be human.”
From the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis: “Is this real life?”
From the Clippers’ Jamal Crawford: “This dude Steph is as free as I have ever seen anyone on a basketball court.”
From LeBron James, of whom you’ve heard: “Needs to stop it man! He’s ridiculous man! Never before seen someone like him in the history of ball!”
I’m twice as old as LeBron, and neither have I. I’m not quite as old as the aforementioned Big O, who last week suggested Curry was nothing special. Tweeted the Lakers’ Lou Williams on Saturday: “Yea ok Oscar.” Attached were six emojis – three laughing faces, three crying ones.
For all the comparisons we might try to attach, none stick. I’ve not seen the likes of what Curry is doing. Neither have you. This is trailblazing stuff.
Oh, and his team is 53-5. That’s also unprecedented.
