Remembering Stephen Curry’s 30 greatest moments on his 30th birthday

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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(Photo By John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
(Photo By John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

20. “We Out!”

For all of the game-winners Curry has hit, none has been a true buzzer-beater. The closest he came was his April 1, 2014 overtime shot against the Mavs, where he left just 0.1 seconds on the clock.

Proximity to the end of the game is just one reason this shot cracks the top 20. Like the Orlando game-winner, the degree of difficulty displayed here was mind-boggling. Curry first shook Jose Calderon by faking circling back up towards the middle, leaving him trailing. As Calderon frantically attempted to catch up, Curry stopped on a dime and stepped back, burying the filthiest 22-footer you’ll ever see.

“We out! We out!” Curry famously yelled to the Dallas crowd.

19. Game-tying 3 in first career playoff game vs. Denver

Curry’s breakout 2012-13 season was spectacular, but the playoffs were a new stage for a 25-year-old point guard who was technically, though incredulously, not yet an All-Star. In Game 1 against the 57-win Nuggets, when the Warriors lost their one actual All-Star David Lee at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Curry was thrust into the most pressure-packed situation of his career.

He helped bring the Warriors from down nine to within three, and got the ball in the corner with under 20 seconds left. He lost Ty Lawson with a pump fake and step to the left, before drilling the second-most-famous game-tying left-corner 3 in the closing seconds of a road playoff game of his career.

Andre Miller capped an 18-point fourth with a game-winning layup moments later, but that doesn’t matter. Curry had rattled Denver, and ignited himself for the remainder of the series.

18. 22 points in six minutes in Game 4 vs. Denver

The Warriors crushed the Nuggets in Game 2, and beat them narrowly in Game 3. As the lower seed, a Game 4 win was needed to keep home-court advantage.

Golden State was up 12 at halftime, but 12 quick third quarter points from Ty Lawson cut the lead to just four. That’s when Curry, who had just seven points at that juncture, caught fire.

Calling what Curry did a “22-point quarter” does not do it justice. He hit five 3s and had multiple fantastic finishes over the period’s final 6:22, leading a one-man 25-10 run to put the game and really, the series, away.

17. “Who’s the best shooter in Golden State?”

By the All-Star Break in 2014-15, Curry had nearly established himself as the best shooter in NBA history. He had set the all-time record for 3s in a season, and was well on his way to shattering his own record, not to mention winning an MVP in the process. Missing from his resume, however, was a 3-Point Contest win.

After putting on a show with 23 points Round 1, teammate Klay Thompson outdid him with 24. Thompson is built for the 3-Point Contest; he shoots with a repeatable, picture-perfect form on the level of Ray Allen while expending half the energy. He would be difficult to beat in the final round.

Curry, however, decided he was not going to lose the contest for a third time. He came out in the final round with a then contest-record 27 points, including 13 straight makes spanning his final three racks.

“Who’s the best shooter in Golden State? WHO IS THE BEST SHOOTER, IN GOLDEN STATE?” exclaimed Kenny Smith on TNT. The call is to the 3-Point Contest what Smith’s Vince Carter-inspired “It’s over! It’s overrrrrrr, ladies and gentlemen!” is to the Slam Dunk Contest.