With each basket, Stephen Curry continues to join more and more rarified air.
He already owns the all-time record for 3-point makes, recently nailing his 4,000th triple.
That long-range prowess, along with the ability to power inside for layups, drop in floaters and can midrange jumpers, has helped him climb the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
During Curry’s 52-point decimation of the Memphis Grizzlies in southwest Tennessee on Tuesday night, the 37-year-old guard scored his 25,193rd point and moved past the late Jerry West for 25th on the ladder.
“I got a little emotional about that because that’s special. What he meant to the league, the world of basketball, to our organization when he worked here … that’s the logo,” Curry said.
West, who was the model for the NBA logo and was in many ways the original prototype for Curry’s combo-guard archetype as a do-everything scoring dynamo with a sweet shot, was a legendary player for the Lakers in the 1960s and 1970s before helping build two separate dynasties in Los Angeles.
After leaving the team in the early-2000s, West worked in the Warriors’ front office from 2011 to 2017.
West embraced the high-volume shooting skills of Curry and Klay Thompson, and was instrumental in building the team’s dynastic roster.
His son, Jonnie West, is the director of pro personnel for Golden State.
“I got to talk to him after the game, and share a moment for what it meant to me, my family and the entire West family,” Curry said.
Curry is now 75 points from passing Reggie Miller (25,279) for 24th on the list.
