Stephen Curry became the first player to reach 4,000 3-pointers made in a career, as the Golden State Warriors superstar extended his record to the milestone number on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Curry entered the Warriors’ 130-104 win over Sacramento needing two 3-pointers to reach 4,000, and he reached the mark after hitting a 3 with 8:19 left in the third quarter.
His 4,000th came from the right wing and under pressure off a pass from Moses Moody on his fourth attempt of the night. Fans jumped to their feet and roared when Curry made it, and a tribute played on the big screen during a timeout shortly after.
“It’s a clear milestone threshold,” Curry told ESPN before he reached 4,000 3-pointers made. “A number that I didn’t think about, that it was realistic even from 2,974, which is a number that means the most because that was the record at the time.
“It’s beyond my wildest dreams to push a record that far.”
Curry, who did it a day before his 37th birthday, finished the game with 11 points and five assists to go with his two 3-pointers.
Curry passed Ray Allen’s previous record of 2,973 career 3-pointers at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 14, 2021. Curry is currently in his 16th season.
“It’s just such an obscene number,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told ESPN of Curry reaching 4,000 3-pointers. “It’s hard to even comprehend, and who knows, maybe it’ll be broken someday.
“… [But] it’s beyond the numbers. It’s the fluidity and the grace. Yes, it’s the audacity [to take some of the Curry 3s]but it’s also the emotion and the beauty of it all. It’s mesmerizing. You see his movement on the floor. He’s like a ballerina out there. You’re not just watching sports; you’re watching art.”
The superstar says he isn’t sure how far he can extend his record. The Clippers star James Harden currently is second behind Curry with 3,120 career 3-pointers made.
“I don’t know how many more I got after that,” Curry told ESPN. “Keep pushing it to as far as I can. I think it’s one of those things that just puts into perspective just how the game has changed, and I’ve been able to be a part of that.”
Curry owns several 3-point records, including the two longest streaks for most consecutive regular-season games with at least one made 3-pointer at 268 straight games and 157 consecutive games, respectively.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
