GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS guard Stephen Curry is now the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history. After sinking two 3s in the first quarter Tuesday night at the New York Knicks, he had made 2,974 3-point field goals, one more than Ray Allen.
It seems like Curry was destined to own basketball's 3-point crown, but while he has just now cemented his status as the GOAT shooter in the NBA, he almost wasn't.
His early pro career was plagued by severe ankle injuries, but Curry credits that painful time for fueling him to get to this pinnacle.
"It's one narrative that it almost derailed my whole career," Curry told ESPN, "but it also gave me the resources I need to make everything work."
Nine years removed from the orthopedic nightmares that sidelined him multiple times during his first three years in the league, he appreciates how that hardship challenged him to work harder and smarter.
"The ankle stuff was a blessing in disguise," Curry says. "It gave me a new kind of approach to the work that I put in, so it's kind of crazy."
If it weren't for his first ankle surgery and rehab process in 2011, Curry probably would never have met the training partner that helped him get here.