How Stephen Curry Became An NBA Star
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Wardell Stephen Curry II, popularly known as Stephen Curry, is a professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He has led his team to win 4 NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Curry is considered one the best distance-shooter in NBA history and one of the best players ever to play the game. He has signed various multi-million dollar deals with Golden State Warriors while also having a plethora of brand endorsements and businesses. He is one of the wealthiest NBA players, with an estimated net worth of $160 million.
Stephen Curry, over the years, has achieved a dozen milestones, including 4 NBA championships, 2 NBA MVP awards, an NBA finals MVP award, an NBA All-Star Game MVP Award, etc. Yet, his journey toward becoming one of the most celebrated basketballers is more challenging than it looks.
Stephen’s Inherited Affinity To The Court
Stephen Curry was born in Akron, Ohio, on March 14, 1988. He is the son of legendary NBA veteran Dell Curry and the older brother of current NBA player Seth Curry. he grew up in Charlotte as his father, Dell, played for the Charlotte Hornets throughout his career. Stephen learned all the game's nuances from his father, who often took both sons to his games, where they would practice shooting alongside the Hornets. Dell made sure to expose his sons to the game as early as possible so that they could make it big in the future.
During Steohen’s time in college, coaches did not take his accurate shooting and strong basketball sense into account because of his skinny build and ordinary 6-foot height. Major collegiate basketball programs did not give him scholarships, and he attended Davidson College, which had a student count of fewer than 2,000. But he immediately established himself, leading all first-year players in the nation with an average of 21.5 points per game as a freshman, as per Britannica.
Stephen Curry led the underdog Davidson College team and made an incredible run to the Elite Eight of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. This performance featured the shot that would become known as Curry's signature shot: a three-pointer from well outside the line. While he did not perform any similar miracles during his junior season, his average of 28.6 points per game topped the nation, and ended up being the NCAA scoring leader.
Storming Into The NBA
In 2009 Stephen Curry got his NBA draft and became the 7th pick of the Golden State Warriors. During the 2009–10 campaign of the Warriors, he had an appearance in 80 games, playing 36.2 minutes per game while averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.90 steals. He entered the competition for rookie of the year courtesy of his strong second half of the season.
As the only rookie in the Western Conference to receive the honor three times, he was awarded Western Conference Rookie of the Month in January, March, and April. He came in second to Tyreke Evans for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected unequivocally to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, making him the first member of the Warriors to do so since Jason Richardson in 2001–02.
Golden State surrounded Stephen Curry with other quality players thanks to his modest four-year $44 million deal. In 2012–13, Curry had the most three-pointers in league with a whopping 272. He replicated his antics the following year with 261, earning his first All-Star selection. He led the Warriors to an NBA-best 67-15 record in 2014–15, setting a then-record 286 three-pointers, and was awarded the league's Most Valuable Player or MVP. Curry led the Warriors to their first championship in 40 years during 2014-15 by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Stephen Curry excelled throughout his NBA career with several feats to his name, and he led his team to win the NBA championship three more times in 2017, 2018, and 2022. In 2017 Curry signed a highly lucrative $200 Million extension contract with Golden State Warriors, as per Forbes, making him the first NBA player to sign a supermax contract. Further, in 2021 he signed a 4-year extension contract for $211 million, making him the first player in the history of the game to have consecutive $200 million deals.
Steph’s Dozen Milestones And Staggering Net Worth
As per Skysports, Curry’s milestones include Storming into the NBA in 2009, lit up the Madison Square Garden in 2013 with 54 points, and being the highest 3-pointer scorer in 2013-14. Apart from this, he consecutively became the highest 3-pointer scorer in 2014-15, won his first MVP award in the 2014-15 season, and made history as the first player to score 400 3-pointers in a single season in 2015-16. Another impressive addition to his achievements was when Curry won the first unanimous league MVP in 2015-16, scored career-high 62 points in the 2020-21 game, and became NBA’s all-time 3-pointer leader.
As reported by Yahoo Finance, Stephen Curry has a net worth of a staggering $160 million and ranks 5th on the list of the World’s Highest Paid Athletes. Throughout the years, Curry has made money not only from his hefty NBA salary but also from lucrative endorsement deals with virtually every major American corporation and several successful business endeavors, including the likes of Under Armour, Chase, Vivo, eHi, Nissan/Infiniti, Brita, Bubble, and JBL.
Stephen Curry has hustled hard throughout his career to become the best long-range shooter and one of the best players in the game. He has made a legacy with a record number of achievements and awards in a career spanning over 13 years. Stephen Curry will become one of the greatest NBA players of all time and become a cult figure in the years ahead.
Source: Yahoo Finance, Skysports, Forbes, Britannica
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