At 37 years old, Stephen Curry isn’t slowing down, he’s passing Michael Jordan, reshaping scoring history, and proving that elite guards don’t have to fade.
The Record That Changes the Conversation
The NBA has always been unforgiving to small guards past 30. Speed fades. Lift disappears. Legs go first.
Stephen Curry just tore that idea apart.
With a 48-point masterpiece against Portland, Curry officially passed Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games after turning 30, 45 to 44. Days earlier, he also surpassed Jordan for 35-point games post-30, another marker of sustained elite scoring. These aren’t cherry-picked stats, they’re direct measurements of longevity, dominance, and offensive durability.
At age 37, Steph isn’t hanging around the league. He’s still bending it.
Why Post-30 Scoring Actually Matters
Anyone can stack points in their physical prime. The true test of greatness is what happens when athleticism declines and defenses know every move.
After turning 30:
- Stephen Curry: 45 games of 40+ points
- Michael Jordan: 44
- Kobe Bryant: 30
- LeBron James: 28
Steph’s post-30 scoring average sits at 28.1 PPG, edging Jordan’s 27.9, but the real separator is efficiency. Steph is doing this while posting elite true shooting numbers in an era where defences load up on him from half court.
He isn’t surviving age, he’s mastering it.
A Career Built on Skill, Not Force By Steph
Drafted 7th overall in 2009, Curry entered the league with questions about size, defense, and durability. Seventeen seasons later, he has answered every single one with numbers.
Career résumé:
- 4× NBA Champion
- 2× MVP (including the league’s only unanimous MVP)
- 2022 Finals MVP
- 11× All-Star, 11× All-NBA
- 25,919 career points (22nd all-time)
- 4,151 made threes — the most in NBA history
His career averages tell the real story:
24.8 PPG, 6.3 APG, .471 FG%, .423 from three, .911 at the line.
No guard in league history has paired this level of volume with this level of efficiency for this long.
The 2025–26 Season: This Isn’t a Victory Lap
Through the opening stretch of his 17th season, Curry is averaging:
- 29.6 points per game
- .484 FG%, .412 from three
- 10+ three-point attempts per night
- .655 true shooting
- 4 games of 40+ points already
At 37 years old.
His usage rate mirrors his MVP seasons. His efficiency hasn’t dipped. And defences are still trapping him 30 feet from the rim. This isn’t nostalgia or reputation, it’s production.
One of the Greatest Scorers Ever, By the Numbers
Curry may not sit atop the all-time scoring list, but scoring is about more than raw totals.
Among all-time great scorers:
- Curry owns one of the highest true shooting percentages ever
- He leads guards in post-30 scoring efficiency
- His pace-adjusted scoring ranks with the best in NBA history
- His off-ball gravity creates offense even when he doesn’t shoot
No other scorer has forced defences to guard space the way Curry does. His impact shows up before the box score ever does.
The Greatest Shooter Debate Is Over
Curry isn’t just the greatest shooter ever, he’s separated himself entirely.
- Most threes in NBA history
- Most threes in a season
- Elite accuracy at unprecedented volume
- Quickest release among high-usage stars
- Comfortable shooting from 30+ feet
The league’s three-point explosion isn’t a trend. It’s a response to Curry. Entire defensive schemes, roster constructions, and offensive philosophies exist because of him
Acknowledging the Criticism
Yes, Curry has defensive limitations.
Yes, injuries impacted his early career.
Yes, his playoff efficiency dips under extreme defensive pressure.
But every legend has flaws. Curry’s offensive gravity, efficiency, and championship impact dwarf those concerns. Basketball history has always rewarded players who change how the game is played and no one has done that more in the modern era.
Legacy, Properly Framed
Stephen Curry didn’t dominate with size or brute force.
He dominated with skill, movement, precision, and inevitability.
At 37, still dropping 40, still breaking records, still forcing defences into panic, Curry isn’t just aging gracefully.
He’s rewriting what aging looks like.