Warriors' guard Stephen Curry was named to an All-NBA team for the 10th time in his career, the league announced on Wednesday. Curry, who also won the Clutch Player of the Year award and led the league in made 3-pointers (357), averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Read below for quotes from notable NBA figures on the greatness Curry displayed this season.
"Steph [Curry] was sublime down the stretch. That was unreal. We’ve seen him do this over and over again, but it never ceases to amaze me what that guy is capable of.” - Steve Kerr on Curry’s perfect 16-point fourth quarter (7-for-7 FG) vs. Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 16
On a monumental night in which he became the first player in league history to eclipse 3,500 career 3-pointers, Curry took over in the fourth quarter with 16 points and shooting a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. Despite witnessing Curry's greatness on a regular basis, Coach Kerr shared that he's still consistently amazed with how he can take over games.
"Nothing shocks me with Steph. That shot was insane. The catch-and-shoot, the arch. But I fully expected it to go in and I think our fans did too. The guy’s magical. You can't explain it. It’s just the kind of stuff he does.” - Head Coach Steve Kerr on Curry’s overtime dagger shot vs. Boston on Dec 19
Just three days after his perfect final frame against the Nets, Curry was at it again, leading the Dubs to a 17-point comeback win over the Boston Celtics with 13 points in the fourth quarter and seven more in overtime. Kerr, who expected his dagger three to go in because it's "just the kind of stuff he does," describe his microwave scoring ability down the stretch as "magical." Curry finished the season with the most points, field goals and made 3-pointers in "clutch time" (the last five minutes of a game in which the margin is within five points).
"A great player making great plays...he’s a Hall of Famer. The greatest shooter to ever play the game. You always have to be on high alert when he has the ball and when he doesn’t have the ball.” - Lakers' center Anthony Davis on Curry’s clutch play vs. Lakers in Double OT thriller on Jan. 27
In a double-overtime thriller against the Lakers, Curry forced the game into its first overtime period with a bucket over Anthony Davis and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer over Davis with 4.5 seconds left in the second extra frame. Davis, who finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, was in awe of Curry's shooting display. Davis considers Curry to be the greatest shooter in league history, a sentiment many share throughout the league.
"An all-time great, the greatest ever at his position, a top-five player ever. You give him a look like that for the game; he is licking his chops.” - Suns' forward Kevin Durant after Stephen Curry's game winner over Suns on Feb. 10
Curry has the most game winning shots of any player over the last decade and added two to his total this season, including a deep 29-foot splash to beat the Phoenix Suns. Suns' forward and former teammate Kevin Durant switched off of Curry on the final possession and instantly regretting leaving the sharpshooter with even a sliver of open space. Durant, who closely observed Curry for three seasons, considers him the greatest point guard ever and one of the five greatest basketball players in NBA history.
"Steph is most dangerous when he doesn't have the ball. There aren't many guys in our league that are most dangerous without the ball. Guarding Steph is uncomfortable.” - LeBron James via his ‘Mind the Game’ Podcast on the challenge of guarding Curry
Having faced Curry in four NBA finals and a fifth playoff series in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals, LeBron James knows firsthand the daunting task of chasing around, in his opinion, the most dangerous off-ball player in the league. While most players are a far more significant threat when they have the ball, Curry, despite being a lethal ball handler, is arguably more of a threat when he gives it up. This is because of the shooting and cutting threat he imposes, with his gravity changing the geometry of the game and often leading to higher quality looks for his teammates. Curry is constantly moving when he doesn't have the ball and that speed, endurance and change of pace is difficult to keep up with.
Curry will join Kerr, Davis, Durant and James to represent Team USA in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The now 10-time All-NBA recipient will seek his first Olympic Gold Medal.