Stephen Curry will start in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center, marking his 11th All-Star appearance which is a franchise record for the Golden State Warriors.
Curry passes Paul Arizin for the most All-Star appearances in Warrior history. More surprisingly, the 2x MVP was named a starter for the game after a somewhat underwhelming season to date by his lofty standards.
Stephen Curry is a surprise All-Star starter
It is no surprise that Curry was awarded an All-Star appearance and the fact that he is breaking the Warriors franchise record is only right. The 36-year-old is far and away the greatest Warrior of all time, and as such this is a record only he should have. This achievement also marks Curry becoming the active player with the most All-Star selections with one franchise, passing LeBron James in his two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
What is more surprising is that Curry was named a starter for the game. Of course, we know that the fan vote contributes to this, but Curry simply isn't a top two guard in the Western Conference this season. Curry finished second behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in fan votes which account for 50% of the selection process, with current players and media members accounting for the other 50%.
So why is this surprising? First of all the Warriors aren’t that good. They are currently the 11th seed in the Western Conference and below .500 with a 21-22 record that makes them clearly the worst team to have an All-Star starter. On top of that, Curry is not having his best season from an individual perspective.
Curry is only 25th in the league in scoring at 22.6 points per game, and is below his career averages in assists, 3-point percentage and field goal percentage. Players like Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker are certainly having better statistical seasons than Curry, but the fans, players and media have spoken, and they want Steph.
It is only right that Steph gets the nod to be a starter in the stadium that he built. Maybe he isn’t having the best season, and maybe the Warriors aren’t that good, but still, giving a legend like Curry the honor of starting on his home court just makes sense.
So Warriors fans should enjoy the moment. It's unclear how many more All-Star appearances Curry will have, and having some memorable All-Star moments of Steph at Chase Center may be one of the few positives fans can hold onto during this disappointing season.