Stephen Curry may not be one to chase personal records, but as he approaches his 17th NBA season, even he admits there’s one milestone that’s quietly stayed on his radar.
Back in April, the Golden State Warriors icon surpassed Hall of Famer Jerry West to claim the 24th spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring chart. That achievement in itself is impressive but it’s who comes next that has Curry thinking. Of the 23 players ahead of him, only four remain active: LeBron James (1st), Kevin Durant (8th), James Harden (11th), and Russell Westbrook (20th).
“I wouldn’t say I don’t care. I do the math every once in a while,” Curry told Complex’s Speedy Mormon. “Every time you pass someone and they announce it in the arena like, ‘Oh, congrats, you passed Jerry West’ that one meant a lot to me that’s when you start thinking, how far can I really go?”
Curry said he often calculates how many seasons it might take him to climb higher.
“If I average in the 20s, play 70 games a season for a couple more years I do that math all the time. It helps me mentally frame how long I’d need to play and at what level to move up that list.”
With 25,386 points to his name, Curry is just 819 points away from entering the top 20 and needs 1,324 more to reach the 15th spot. But he has his eyes set higher: Carmelo Anthony’s 10th-place total of 28,289 points a gap of 2,903.
Still, Curry made it clear his drive isn’t rooted in chasing individual marks.
“After I think about it, I usually forget until the next time it comes up,” he said. “It’s just a fun little thing to keep me engaged in the moment, to give me something to enjoy for a second.”
“But ultimately, that’s not what keeps me going,” Curry added. “What really motivates me is reaching a place where we’re competing at the highest level and fighting for championships.”
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