It should be unanimous. After all the accolades, the nostalgia and the innovation, Stephen Curry should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Though he bears the gift of one-in-a-million talent, his work ethic and love for the game propelled him into an influential figure.

Curry’s combination of skills sets him apart. Too long has the title of “greatest of all time” been reserved for players with stature rather than heart.

He will go down in history as the greatest shooter to ever play basketball and he deserves to be mentioned among the basketball legends. 

Just because point guards and shooters aren’t usually accepted as franchise players or legends doesn’t mean anyone should snub him as a Hall of Famer.

Instead, Curry should be the headliner over any player in the NBA today, even at his age of 37, according to a July 10 Yahoo! Sports webpage.

He should be the premier player on a team with any fantasy team and be seen as the greatest point guard of all time. 

Something that sets him apart is the respect he draws, even from famous athletes.

Curry was considered the best scorer in the NCAA in the 2008-2009 season, averaging 28.6 points per game in his final season at Davidson College, according to an ESPN webpage.

He should also be recognized as the greatest shooter of all time. In his career at Davidson, he broke the record for 3-pointers made in a single season with 162 shots beyond the arc, according to a Davidson College webpage.

The guard not only knows how to be a dominant player, he also knows how to perform under pressure.

Curry, among many of the game’s global stars, set himself apart with his clutch shooting during the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to the USA Basketball webpage.

Watching our hometown hero from the Warriors dominate at the highest stage in basketball, the Olympics made me feel like I could use the game as a platform to bring the eyes of the world to witness the world of basketball.

When the biggest challenge came to Team USA, Curry shone, carrying his squad in the final with eight 3-pointers and claimed the gold medal, according to the same webpage.

Even in his younger years, Curry dazzled fans, as his electric skills was something me and my friends would try to emulate when we met up to play basketball.

In his debut at Madison Square Garden in New York, which many embrace as the ‘Mecca’ of basketball, Curry was at a crossroads in a game against West Virginia University. 

With the world watching, including a younger version of myself, Curry lit up the stage the New York night. 

At that point, I had my mind made up. Curry was, hands down, the most entertaining player I had ever seen play.

Towards the end of the game, he scored 13 of the last 15 points for the Wildcats and securing a win according to an April 18, 2024 Basketball Network article.

Stephen Curry’s father, Dell Curry, known as a sharpshooter, played 16 seasons in the NBA and made 1,245 shots from 3-point range, according to an ESPN article.

If the statistics don’t give you an idea of the sheer brilliance of Curry, his collegiate head coach Bob McKillop simplifies what is different about him.

“I’ve been coaching for 35 years. I’ve had some great players. I’ve never had one that combines greatness in talent and greatness in personhood as Steph Curry. I am fortunate to be his coach,” McKillop said in an April 18, 2024 interview with Basketball Network’s Peter Sunjic. 

Curry finished his rookie season with averages of 17.5 points per game, 5.9 assists per game and 4.5 rebounds per game in 80 games in his rookie season in 2009-2010, according to a StatMuse webpage

His arrival to the Warriors was the perfect concoction, as the franchise needed a boost of morale and he quickly rose through the ranks, going from rookie to franchise player. 

What sets Curry apart from the rest of the players in the NBA is the journey he went through, having to switch to the point guard position because he wanted to play in the NBA, just like his father. 

Curry currently has 4,058 shots from beyond the 3-point arc and counting, according to a StatMuse webpage.

As of last season, the Warriors acquired 14-year veteran Jimmy Butler III in a 5-team trade, according to an NBA article.

With the one-two punch of Butler and Curry, the Warriors have a chance to compete in the 2025-2026 season for a Western Conference championship and possibly an NBA Finals berth. 

Curry may be an anomaly by himself, but the combination of him and Butler give Warriors fans something to look forward to.

The tandem has a strong chance to propel the Warriors to what could be Curry’s fifth championship.

Some hesitate to give him credit as a member of the greatest of all-time conversation, but his resumé definitely speaks volumes to the way he shaped the game.

Curry showed us it’s not about being big or fast, it’s about work ethic, heart and self-belief. 

Having played varsity basketball as a bench player myself, Curry was an enormous influence on how the game changed and should be in the Hall of Fame.