The shot itself felt routine — a familiar motion, a clean release, the kind of moment Stephen Curry has made look inevitable for nearly two decades.
But when it fell, history moved.
With that basket, Curry officially passed Kevin Garnett to climb to No. 21 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, reaching 26,077 career points and adding another milestone to a legacy that continues to rewrite what greatness looks like. There were no fireworks built into the play, no ceremonial pause. Just basketball — and another line crossed by a player who has made the extraordinary feel normal.
What makes the moment resonate isn’t just the number.
It’s how Curry got there.
Kevin Garnett built his scoring legacy through power, endurance, and physical dominance — two decades of battles in the paint, midrange fades, and relentless intensity. Curry, by contrast, has climbed the same mountain by bending the game itself. No brute force. No positional advantage. Just gravity, precision, and a shooting range that forced defenses — and eventually the entire league — to evolve.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Curry entered the NBA as an undersized guard with questions about durability, defense, and whether his shooting-heavy style could survive at the highest level. He wasn’t projected as a scoring titan, let alone someone who would pass Hall of Fame big men on the all-time list.
Instead, he changed the math.
Three-point shooting went from specialty to foundation. Spacing became strategy. Shot selection was redefined. And Curry didn’t just adapt to the modern NBA — he built it. Every deep pull-up, every off-ball relocation, every impossible-angle release added up over time, turning efficiency into volume and artistry into longevity.
Passing Garnett carries symbolic weight.
It represents the quiet overthrow of an old era by a new one. Garnett embodied power, toughness, and traditional franchise leadership. Curry represents freedom, creativity, and the idea that influence doesn’t have to be loud to be seismic. Both are champions. Both are culture-shifters. But their paths couldn’t be more different — and that’s what makes this milestone so striking.
At 26,077 points, Curry isn’t slowing down.
He’s still commanding double teams the moment he crosses half court. Still bending defensive schemes before plays even develop. Still delivering nights where the impossible becomes routine. And crucially, he’s doing it without sacrificing joy — the same joy that made fans fall in love with his game in the first place.
That joy has become part of the legacy.
Curry didn’t just accumulate points; he made scoring feel accessible, fun, and imaginative. Kids now grow up practicing shots that once would’ve earned a trip to the bench. Entire offensive systems are built around principles he normalized. His influence shows up in box scores across the league — even when his name isn’t on them.
The climb won’t stop here.
As Curry continues to rise among legends once considered untouchable, the conversation naturally shifts. Not just how many points he’ll finish with, but what kind of scorer he’ll ultimately be remembered as. A volume scorer? A revolutionary? A system unto himself?
The answer is probably all of it.
Passing Kevin Garnett is another chapter — not a conclusion. And as long as Curry keeps pulling up from places defenders still don’t want to believe are possible, the all-time list will keep changing.
The game is still making room for him.
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