Playing in his 1,000th career regular season game, Stephen Curry put on a show in Milwaukee last night. The two-time MVP scored a season-high 38 points and marked his fourth straight appearance with at least 30 points. After the game, he reflected positively on reaching a new milestone in his historic career.
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Speaking to Dennis Scott from NBA TV, Curry said, “Year 16 is a special milestone for me and my family. My dad played 16 years in the league. I don’t know how many games but just the idea that this is kind of a cool checklist, you know.”
Dell Curry did play 16 seasons in the NBA, lighting it up from beyond the arc between 1986 and 2002. Notably, the patriarch of the Curry family appeared in 1,083 regular season games — a mark Steph will have to wait until next season to match.
After crossing the 1,000-game mark though, the 36-year-old remained optimistic about his future in the league. “I hope I’ve got a lot more left but when I came into the league, this was the goal so, 1,000 is a really cool milestone,” Curry told Scott.
Not only did Steph reach a historic milestone, he did it in dominant fashion. The 11-time All-Star is currently in the midst of his longest streak of 30-point games since December, 2021. He joined Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Karl Malone as the only players to record four consecutive 30-point games past the age of 36.
After a cold end to 2024, Curry also reflected on how his season seems to be picking up following the acquisition of Jimmy Butler.
“The ebbs and flows of the season are crazy. Like, it’s an emotional roller-coaster if you allow it to, so I’m trying to stay even keel. Obviously, Jimmy is a big help. These last two games, giving us a different option. Defensively, he’s unbelievable but offensively, he gives us a different dynamic and we’ve started to figure it out pretty quickly,” the four-time NBA champion commented.
"I hope I've got a lot more left" 🙏@StephenCurry30 chopped it up with @Dennis3DScott after the win in his 1,000th career game 🙌#CenterCourt | @madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/iGuk7gflQY
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 11, 2025
In just his second appearance as a Warrior, Butler recorded 20 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. The two-way wing drew a game-high 15 free-throws, and was among the reasons Bobby Portis picked up six fouls.
On the season, the Dubs are among the four worst teams when it comes to drawing free-throws. However, in Jimmy’s two appearances for the team, their free-throw attempt rate has jumped from 0.226 to 0.355, the third-highest mark during that stretch.
Paired with Curry’s lethal outside scoring, the Warriors do possess a new offensive dynamic with Butler. His connection with Draymond Green also led to several open looks at the basket, helping Golden State tally more points in the paint.
However, another notable change to the team’s dynamic is in their defense. “I hear around the league, ‘Defense wins championships’. So, we have to [defend] if we want to win. It’s really just taking it one game at a time, playing with effort, talking, communicating,” the Baby-Faced Assassin reflected.
Apart from the subtle nod to Nico Harrison’s remarks about the Luka Doncic trade, Curry commented on how each of his teammates has been executing their roles to perfection. He credited Brandin Podziemski for his hustle on the glass, helping the Dubs keep possessions alive and rack up second-chance points.
In that regard too, Butler should remain a consistent contributor. He led the game in Milwaukee with 6 offensive rebounds. Jimmy, Steph and the Warriors will now look to extend their win streak to three games when they take on the injury-laden Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday.
