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Stephen Curry passes Wilt Chamberlain as Warriors' all-time leading scorer on 53-point night

jason owens
Staff writer
·2 min read
33

Stephen Curry added another milestone to his illustrious career on Monday, passing a fellow legend of the game in the process.

The Golden State Warriors guard scored his 17,784th career point to become the Golden State Warriors' all-time leading scorer. The player he passed? Wilt Chamberlain.

Curry broke the record during a scorching start against the Denver Nuggets that saw him score 21 points in the first quarter. He got within two of the record with a trademark deep 3-pointer in transition. He passed Chamberlain on the next Warriors possession, driving past a pair of Denver defenders for a layup.

Curry, clearly aware of his achievement, flexed after the bucket and blew a kiss to the sky. When it was over, he'd tallied 53 points in a 116-107 win that saw Nuggets guard Jamal Murray leave the game with a knee injury.

The performance was vintage Steph as Curry connected on 10-of-18 3-point attempts and 15-of-16 free throws. He needed just 24 field goal attempts to reach the 53-point tally. He also let Denver's Facundo Campazzo know exactly what he thought of his defense after a third-quarter 3-pointer.

As phenomenal of a scorer as Curry is, he has a way to go to threaten Chamberlain on the all-time list.

Curry milestone a testament to Wilt

Chamberlain did his damage with the Warriors in less than six seasons before a mid-season trade to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1965. He reached his 17,783-point tally in 429 games. Curry passed him on game No. 745.

By the time he finished his career that also included a stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Chamberlain tallied 31,419 career points, good now for seventh-place on the all-time NBA scoring list. He did so without the benefit of a 3-point line.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after shooting a 3-point basket against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Monday, April 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Stephen Curry is now Golden State's all-time leading scorer. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Curry's tally of 17,784 early in Monday's game was good for 79th on the all-time list. He's playing in his 12th NBA season. Coincidentally, he's slated to pass another Warriors great for 78th place.

Chris Mullin tallied 17,911 NBA points in a career that included a three-year run with the Indiana Pacers in addition to his Warriors years. Curry shouldn't need long to get there.

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