There is no need to argue further when saying that Stephen Curry is one of the most influential players in basketball of the past decade. There are many excellent players, but perhaps only one person in a generation has the caliber of a revolutionary like Stephen Curry. However, he not only changed the way of playing, the Akron-born superstar also brought a difference in the way basketball is perceived in the NBA as well as around the world.

If you have followed the NBA for a long time, fans will easily recognize the difference between the way the current generation plays football compared to the period from the 2010s onwards. During this so-called classical basketball era, the ball plays took place mainly inside the three-point line as well as below the basket. Matches often highlight the abilities and strength of giants.

That’s why basketball was always considered a picky sport due to its strict physical requirements. The NBA has become an almost untouchable place partly because of that. Looking at it objectively, this fierceness also partly reduces the number of people interested in basketball when thinking about it, many people with modest physiques do not want to start, let alone have a lifelong passion. .

However, the 2009 NBA Draft witnessed one of the most special events in NBA history when a skinny player named Stephen Curry was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 7th round. At that time, all attention was focus on flashier names like Blake Griffin, James Harden, Tyreke Evans or even Ricky Rubio. The talented “chef” started his NBA career with almost no expectations.

But the people who brought him back, the Golden State Warriors, were completely confident in their choice. The owners here were even willing to exchange their biggest star at that time, Monta Ellis, in the summer of 2012 to create space for Stephen Curry to develop. Not betraying the trust of his superiors, the player born in 1988 responded with sweet results that any team would crave.

Stephen Curry is a somewhat small defender on the NBA playground, but in return he possesses good ball control ability and, above all, a sharp three-point shot. The way the “head chef” jokingly threw threes above the heads of the best defenders in the tournament made everyone’s eyes widen in disbelief. Up to this point, the superstar wearing shirt number 30 has never once shot three-pointers with an efficiency below 41% except for the 2019/2020 season when an injury forced him to be abandoned.

It was the effectiveness of the Golden State Warriors’ three-point shots with Stephen Curry as the core that forced the entire NBA to follow suit. Now, it’s not just the Gulf Coast team that shoots three-pointers, all the remaining 29 teams are also racing to bring in good shooters instead of just looking for tall guys to fill out the roster.

Since his first championship in 2015, Stephen Curry and his three-point shots have made basketball explode with the masses. Now, the orange ball is no longer just for big guys, but there is a lot of space for people who, although not tall, are full of technique. Former ESPN editor Max Kellerman once had a pretty good saying about this issue.

“Nowhere is the core of basketball more clearly demonstrated than the playgrounds. When you go out there, you won’t see anyone playing like Giannis Antentokounmpo because he’s simply so different. But what boy wouldn’t want to be Steph? Because who can’t shoot three points? That is the big difference between Stephen Curry and other players. Steph really brings professional basketball closer to everyone.”

That’s right, Stephen Curry has lit up the basketball dreams of countless boys and girls with just a simple swing of his hand. However, that is only the first aspect of the revolution coming from this Eastern-born player. The second thing is that the psychology of each player every time he steps onto the football field to compete has also changed clearly since the time the guy wearing shirt number 30 entered the NBA.

Previously, the NBA was considered a “fierce arena” for famous guys. Many parents are concerned when their children watch the NBA because this tournament used to harbor many real thugs. The rough playing style and scandals in the 90s occurred continuously and culminated in the riot at The Palace Stadium of the Detroit Pistons in 2004, causing many people to turn their backs on the NBA.

However, Stephen Curry is different. Not only does he have a flexible playing style, he also brings with him coolness, sass and above all, a smile on his face. Even when he makes a mistake, fans always see star number 30 smiling, overwhelming all the negative energy around him. Old teammate Andre Iguodala confirmed this on The Breakfast Club podcast.

“In our time, when playing basketball, being happy and smiling meant you were weak. Serious and somewhat sarcastic people like Charles Barkley and Charles Oakley are always admired figures. On the court you have to be as ruthless as the style of play that Pat Riley built at the Knicks in the past. And then Steph suddenly appeared. He just smiled innocently, shook his shoulders in celebration and then threw three points from the middle of the field in front of the opponent.”

Without using it again here, Andre Iguodala continues to affirm that Stephen Curry has contributed greatly to the change in the appearance of the NBA over the past decade: “Since then you have seen Dame, Trae Young, Luka Doncic have follow in his footsteps. It feels like now everyone can enjoy and have fun every time they stand on the basketball court. It’s not easy for just one person to change an entire generation, so I mean we need to thank him while we still can.”

Indeed, during his NBA journey, Stephen Curry had colleagues who were upset with his playing style and had many anti-fans. The general reason is why someone who has no seriousness on any field has achieved such success. However, by this point, all fans have had to admit that the Akron-born superstar is an irreplaceable revolutionary for the NBA or world basketball in general.