Stephen Curry's Game was a Microcosm of Entire Career

Stephen Curry’s 46 point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder encapsulated his career in a nutshell, all the way up to his game-winning 35 footer.

Stephen Curry, laying on the ground, needed his team to commit a foul.

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He rolled his ankle and Warriors fans collectively held their breath, fearing the worst. Not again. While his arms and wrists have built him up, it’s his ankles that have broken him down.

This lede could have been written about any number of instances when Curry has twisted or sprained his ankle throughout his career. Before the MVP and the records, the point guard’s ankles were the narrative. Early on, it didn’t seem like he could stay on the court long enough to develop into the star he seemed like he could be.

Steph Curry has reached a point in his career that very few, if any, have ever gotten to in basketball history. He’s un-guardable. And that’s not a hyperbole. It’s a fact. The only thing that could stop Curry is himself. And an old ghost–one everyone thought he had exercised, came back to haunt him, if only for a moment.

Curry’s unbelievable performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder typified what his whole NBA journey has been. The game was a microcosm–just a small-scale model–of what his whole career has looked like. From start to finish, we saw a little bit of everything that has defined him as a professional basketball player.

Curry’s unbelievable performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder typified what his whole NBA journey has been.

Entering the game, there were high hopes for a thrilling matchup. But despite the expectations, there were many who thought Golden State would come up short. That the road trip would have broken them down just enough to drop this one. That an angry Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would look for revenge and would have their sputtering Thunder team back on track.

Early on, it was all OKC. They got off to the hot start, overwhelming the Warriors at times with their intensity and energy. They won each of the first two periods. Durant was getting to all his spots almost at will. Curry would hit a few jaw-dropping threes in the second quarter, but he couldn’t take the lead from the Thunder. No matter what he did, it wasn’t enough.

Several minutes into the third, Curry pushed the ball on the break for a quick 2-on-2. He drove on Westbrook and dished it to Harrison Barnes. Westbrook, who went up to contest a potential shot, landed on Curry’s left ankle, twisting it. The MVP sat on the ground with back against the stanchion and struggled to get up. He yelled across the court to his teammates to foul intentionally.

This is how the first part of Curry’s career played out. The promise and the excitement were all there. As the Warriors’ seventh overall pick in 2009, Curry started right away and fans hoped he would be the piece to help put it all together with Monta Ellis. He was expected to be good, but maybe not great. Few thought he would be the best player in a potential dynasty. He was supposed to come up short with his limited athleticism and dependance on the outside shot.

Then the injuries kicked in. Whatever Curry was able to build was quickly torn down by his glass ankles. It wasn’t just landing or stepping on someone. He would take off running and his ankle would just give out. There was frustration. There was a sense that eventually the ankles would be his demise. Every time he hit the deck, we all thought “not again.”

Then six minutes later he re-entered the game and it was over for the Thunder. Prior to the injury, he had a respectable 15 points and 4 three-pointers. He would go on a tear, scoring 31 spectacular points and splashing 8 more treys while breaking two records. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more spectacular, Curry did the seemingly impossible.

Andre Iguodala grabbed a Westbrook miss and gave it to the MVP. He dribbled it slowly on the left side, calculating how much time he had left. He took a few steps past the half court line and pulled up for his normal jump shot 35 feet away. The ball floated through the air and both the Thunder and Warriors fans gasped, waiting as the ball seemed to be suspended in the air for about an hour.

Nothing but net.

Feb 27, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after hitting the game winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

This is how the last few years of Curry’s career have played out. After finally getting past the ankle injuries, he became a star. He led his team to the playoffs, he set a new three-point record, and he started to separate himself from other point guards. And just when you don’t think he can get any better or that he’s reached his ceiling, he does something even more incredible like being named the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Then he outdoes himself in grandiose fashion.

He attacks with a viciousness and touch that has never before been seen. That game-winning jumper exemplifies exactly what Curry’s doing right now. He’s challenging everything we hold to be true about basketball and what’s supposed to be possible. That shot was his season and his ever-rising ceiling in a nutshell.

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The Internet exploded with reactions and comments from NBA players to casual fans. A day after Oscar Robertson tried to discredit, Curry responded to the ridiculous and invalid criticism the only way he knows how: he let his game do the talking. He did something that no one in any era could do.

We’re now entering uncharted waters. Curry is in the prime of his career and is starting to look like one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen. His performance against the Thunder gave us a look at each step of Curry’s career thus far and his finish showed us that incredible has become commonplace and he can outdo himself even when it seems impossible.

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Steph Curry’s Game was a Microcosm of Entire Career

By Carlos Murillo | Feb 29, 2016

Stephen Curry’s 46 point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder encapsulated his career in a nutshell, all the way up to his game-winning 35 footer.

More from Blue Man Hoop