Warriors’ Stephen Curry surpasses 25K factors, and here is how excessive he may climb on the NBA’s all-time listing

Steph Curry reached one other main milestone in his historic profession on Saturday when he joined the 25,000-point membership through the Golden State Warriors‘ thrilling 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Curry hit the mark early within the third quarter when he buried a 3-pointer due to a display screen from his long-time teammate, Draymond Green. 

Curry did not have his finest taking pictures night time, however he acquired to the free throw line repeatedly en path to 32 factors, 13 of which got here within the fourth quarter because the Warriors held off the Pistons for his or her fourth win in a row. With that victory, they moved into sixth place within the Western Convention. 

“It is beautiful. It is night time after night time,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “He was good on an evening the place his shot actually wasn’t there.” 

Curry is the twenty sixth participant in NBA historical past to succeed in 25,000 factors and the tenth to take action with one workforce. The opposite members of that unique membership are Karl Malone (Jazz), Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks), Michael Jordan (Bulls), Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets), Tim Duncan (Spurs), John Havlicek (Celtics), Reggie Miller (Pacers) and Jerry West (Lakers). 

After Saturday’s contest, Curry now has 25,017 factors, which ranks twenty sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring listing. Maybe the largest query popping out of this sport, at the least from a person perspective with Curry, is how excessive he can climb. 

Let’s break it down by the following massive milestones. Here is a take a look at 25-19:

Curry is 1,054 factors behind Garnett, so he’ll simply cross him sooner or later subsequent season assuming he stays even considerably wholesome (for reference, Curry scored 1,956 factors in 74 video games final season). In fact, Westbrook continues to be energetic and can surpass Garnett first, so Curry must cross Havlicek to leap into the highest 20. To try this he’ll want 1,379 factors, which also needs to be no hassle.

What concerning the high 15? Here’s what 18-15 seems to be like at this second:

It is a tightly-bunched group and all of them are retired so we need not fear concerning the margin altering. Curry wants to attain 1,694 factors to cross Robertson and transfer into the highest 15. Once more, that must be a lock, and is even inside attain subsequent season so long as Curry does not have a prolonged absence (Curry is doubling up Westbrook’s scoring common this season, and even with Westbrook’s benefit he has a great probability to get to Robertson earlier than him.) 

Assuming Curry finally strikes into the highest 15, the highest 10 then strikes into sight. That is among the most unique golf equipment within the sport, and getting there will probably be no straightforward feat, even for somebody as gifted as Curry. 

James Harden is greater than 2,000 factors forward of Curry and nonetheless energetic. Harden ought to get into the highest 10 himself — maybe by subsequent season — and it is extraordinarily unlikely Curry will ever catch Harden. So which means Curry must additionally cross O’Neal to get into the highest 10. 

Curry is 3,580 factors behind O’Neal, and that is the place it begins to get fascinating. 

Whereas Curry has had some enormous video games recently, he does not rating on the similar stage he did in his prime, or perhaps a few years in the past. This season he is averaging 24.4 factors per sport, which is his lowest mark for a full season since 2015. Accidents are additionally a priority as he ages. 

The Warriors have 18 video games remaining this season. If Curry retains up his present fee and performs 15 video games (permitting for a couple of days off) he ought to add one other 350-375 factors this season. 

It is unclear how lengthy Curry, who turns 37 on March 12, will need to play. Permitting for an additional small lower within the scoring division and doable accidents, however no main ones, let’s strive to determine a variety of outcomes for Curry within the subsequent two seasons. 

• 2025-26: 23.5 factors per sport and 65 appearances on the excessive finish; 21.5 factors per sport and 50 appearances on the low finish.
• 2026-27: 22 factors per sport and 62 appearances on the excessive finish; 20 factors per sport and 50 appearances on the low finish.

The excessive finish for Curry is perhaps about 3,266 extra factors from now till the tip of the 2027 marketing campaign; the low finish may very well be about 2,425. Once more, we’re doing a variety of guesswork right here, however it’s very doable that Curry must play into the 2027-28 season, when he would flip 40, with the intention to catch O’Neal and enter the highest 10 on the all-time scoring listing. 

Is that doable? Completely. Curry may be very nicely conditioned and one of many league’s final rivals. Would he need to? Most likely. It is arduous to think about a situation the place Curry retires a couple of hundred factors shy of changing into a high 10 scorer ever. 

Is anybody else inside attain? And what about 30,000 factors? Here is 8-5 on the all-time listing:

Durant is at present eighth, and he is nonetheless racking up factors. Chamberlain, in the meantime, is greater than 6,000 factors forward of Curry. You do not need to say something is not possible, however it’s arduous to think about a world the place Curry ever climbs increased than tenth on the all-time listing. Attending to 30,000 can also be asking rather a lot. 

Finally the most secure wager is that Curry will end someplace between fifteenth and tenth on the all-time scoring listing when he retires. Not dangerous for somebody who performed three years of faculty and did not common 20 factors per sport till his fourth skilled season.