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Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry.
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is already a historic player in so many ways but he continues to make history. During his recent 52-point performance against the Memphis Grizzlies, Curry surpassed Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
West, who died last year, and Curry had a longstanding relationship as the Hall of Famer was a consultant for the Warriors from 2011 to 2017. West’s son Jonnie is senior director of pro personnel for Golden State currently.
Curry now moves up to No. 25 on the all-time scoring list while West drops to No. 26. Even with so much going on with Curry and the Warriors right now, the star guard had to show his respect to West following the achievement.
“That’s special, obviously in our memory and what he meant to the league, to the world of basketball, to our organization when he worked here,” Curry said of West, via The Los Angeles Times. “And my relationship with Jonnie. I got to talk to him after the game, just to share a moment of what it meant for me, my family, the entire West family.
“So that is special. Just understanding what his career was, that’s The Logo, so very special. I’ll keep that ball and put it in a good place.”
Though West is no longer around, it’s a testament to Curry’s character that he’d take the time to give praise to the NBA legend.
Curry Still Playing at a High Level at 37
With LeBron James playing at an All-NBA level at 40, it’s easy to forget that it’s actually very rare for athletes to be effective in their late 30s. Considering Curry’s size, it’s even more surprising that he’s been this good at 37.
Scoring 52 points at his age this late in the season is a major achievement. Even the people who have been around him for years are in awe of what he’s doing.
“The guy is 37 years old,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Incredible. Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning. The skill. The audacity. The belief. It’s just incredible to watch Steph at work.”
Curry has already cemented himself as an all-time great but if he has a few more years of playing at this level, it’s going to be difficult to keep him out of the top 10 of all time list.
Lakers & Warriors Have Huge Matchup
The Lakers and Warriors are the two biggest brands in the Western Conference but neither team had a lot of juice heading into this season. The Lakers were likely heading toward the play-in tournament before the trade deadline and the Warriors were at risk of missing it altogether.
Both teams made big trades at the deadline that have changed their outlooks completely. The Lakers have surged to No. 3 in the standings while the Warriors are now at No. 5.
The two teams face off on Thursday and it should be a telling game. They are the most experienced teams heading for the Western Conference playoffs and are red hot. Whoever wins might have the best chance of beating the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
