He isn't just a shooter. Honestly, calling Stephen Curry a "shooter" at this point feels like calling the Pacific Ocean "wet." It’s technically true, but it misses the entire scope of what’s actually happening.
We’ve all seen the highlights. The 35-foot bombs. The "night-night" celebration. The way he makes professional defenders look like they're wearing roller skates on an oil slick. But in 2026, as Curry navigates the twilight of his career with a Golden State Warriors roster that looks drastically different than the 2015 dynasty, the conversation has shifted. It’s no longer about whether he changed the game—everyone knows he did. Now, it’s about how he’s surviving the very monster he created.
The Myth of the "Soft" Revolution in NBA Basketball
There’s this weird narrative that still lingers in some corners of the basketball world. You know the one: that Curry’s influence made the game "soft" or "lazy" because everyone just jacks up threes now.
That is total nonsense.
If you actually watch a Warriors game in person, or catch the high-speed baseline cameras, you see the truth. Steph is one of the most physically conditioned human beings on the planet. He isn't standing at the arc waiting for a pass. He’s a ghost. He’s sprinting through a maze of screens, taking elbows to the ribs, and changing direction at speeds that would tear a normal person’s ACL.
The league didn't get soft; it got fast.
Before Curry, the "meta" was simple. You had big men who lived in the paint. You had isolation scorers who took twenty seconds to get a mid-range jumper off. Then Steph happened. He showed the math—that $3 > 2$—but more importantly, he showed that you could weaponize the entire half-court.
The Real Reason No One Can Copy Him
A lot of kids try to play like him. They pull up from the logo and wonder why their coach benches them. They forget the foundation.
- The "One-Motion" Physics: Most players have a "two-motion" shot. They jump, reach the apex, and then release. Steph releases the ball on the way up. It’s a kinetic chain that starts at his toes and ends at his fingertips in about 0.4 seconds.
- The High Arc: His shots have a crazy high trajectory. This isn't just for flair. A higher arc means the ball enters the rim at a more vertical angle, which literally increases the "effective" size of the hoop.
- The Conditioning: He reportedly runs the equivalent of several miles in a single game just moving without the ball.
Steph Curry: Why the 2025-26 Season Feels Different
Right now, in early 2026, Curry is 37 years old. In the NBA, that’s ancient. Most guards his size are usually retired or playing 12 minutes a night as a "locker room presence" by this age.
But look at the numbers. He’s still putting up nearly 28 points a game. He’s still shooting over 40% from deep. The Warriors have retooled, bringing in Jimmy Butler to help with the defensive load, which has ironically freed Steph up to be even more of a nuisance on the perimeter.
There was a lot of talk about him retiring after the 2024 Olympics. Winning gold in Paris felt like the perfect "mic drop" moment. But he signed that one-year extension through the 2026-27 season for a cool $62.6 million. He isn't done. He’s chasing a fifth ring to match Kobe and Magic.
What Most Fans Miss About His Contract
People see the $60 million figure and freak out. "How can you pay a 37-year-old that much?"
It’s simple. Steph Curry is the Golden State Warriors. He’s the reason that franchise went from a $450 million valuation to over $7 billion. He’s the reason Chase Center exists. In terms of "value over replacement," he might be the most underpaid player in the history of the league.
The 5,000 Threes Threshold
We are currently witnessing a statistical anomaly. Steph is closing in on 5,000 career three-pointers. To put that in perspective, when he passed Ray Allen’s record of 2,973, people thought that was untouchable.
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He didn't just break the record; he took it to another planet and left it there.
There’s a genuine chance that no one ever touches his total. Even with the league shooting more than ever, you need a specific cocktail of health, volume, and accuracy that only happens once a century. Damian Lillard and James Harden are great, but they aren't on the "5k" trajectory.
Surviving the "Steph Effect"
The irony of Curry's career is that the league eventually caught up to his style, but not his skill. Every team now employs "Curry-like" gravity. Coaches like Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra have built entire offensive systems based on the spacing Steph proved was possible.
But this has made the game harder for him.
Defenses are smarter now. They don't leave him. They "box-and-one" him. They switch every screen. Watching him navigate this in 2026 is like watching a grandmaster play chess against a supercomputer. He’s constantly adjusting his rhythm.
Honestly, the most impressive part of his game now isn't the shooting. It's the "old man" strength. He’s much stronger than he was in 2016. He finishes through contact better. He rebounds. He’s adapted to a league that tried to solve him.
Practical Takeaways for Basketball Fans
If you’re watching NBA basketball today, don't just watch the ball when Steph is on the floor.
- Watch his feet. Notice how he never stands still for more than two seconds.
- Look at the "Gravity." See how two defenders often follow him to the corner, leaving the lane wide open for a layup by someone else. That’s an "assist" that doesn't show up in the box score.
- Appreciate the joy. Most stars look like they're at a funeral when they're losing. Steph still looks like he’s playing at a park in Charlotte.
The window is closing. Whether he retires in 2027 or pulls a LeBron and plays until he’s 40, we are in the "bonus" years of the greatest show on hardwood.
If you want to understand the modern game, stop looking at the highlights and start looking at the way the floor is spaced. That’s his real thumbprint. It’s not about the shots he makes; it’s about the space he creates for everyone else to breathe.
To truly appreciate what Curry is doing in this current season, pay attention to the Warriors' offensive rating when he's on the bench versus when he's on the floor. The "on-off" splits are still staggering. Even at 37, the entire system collapses without his presence.
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If you're looking to improve your own game by watching him, focus on his balance. Every shot, whether it's a step-back or a catch-and-shoot, starts with perfectly aligned hips. That's the secret sauce.
Check out the next Warriors home game schedule or look up his latest shooting percentages on NBA.com to see how close he is to that 5,000-mark milestone. It's history happening in real-time.