SACRAMENTO — On Friday evening at Golden 1 Center, Stephen Curry added another indelible chapter to his extraordinary career, etching his name into NBA history by surpassing Tim Duncan for 19th place on the league’s all-time scoring list during the Golden State Warriors’ matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
In his first 21 minutes of action, Curry recorded eight points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 3-of-8 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. The performance itself was efficient rather than explosive, yet it carried historic weight. With a basket that pushed him past Duncan’s career total of 26,496 points, Curry confirmed what has long been evident: his place among the greatest scorers the game has ever seen is now official.
Warriors PR confirmed the milestone: “Stephen Curry has passed Tim Duncan (26,496 career points) for 19th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.”
The achievement is particularly poignant because it represents a benchmark that eluded even the legendary Tim Duncan, whose 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs embodied consistency, excellence, and quiet dominance. Curry, by contrast, has redefined the game with his unparalleled shooting range and gravity-defying movement. Now in his 17th NBA season—all spent with the Golden State Warriors—the two-time MVP continues to climb the all-time ranks while still performing at an elite level.
Entering Friday’s contest, Curry was averaging 27.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game across 41 appearances, shooting 46.8% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported prior to tip-off that Curry would return to the starting lineup with his minutes expected to climb into the high 20s, a sign of the Warriors’ continued trust in their franchise cornerstone as they navigate the final stretch of the regular season. Kristaps Porzingis was also cleared to play.
Curry’s journey from the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Davidson to global icon is well-chronicled. He emerged as a superstar in his fifth season and, from 2015 to 2022, led the Warriors to six NBA Finals appearances, securing four championships. A 12-time All-Star, he has firmly established himself as one of the 15 greatest players in league history. His career averages stand at 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game across 1,067 contests, with signature efficiency of 47.1% shooting from the field and 42.2% from three-point range.
The Warriors entered the night as the 10th seed in the Western Conference with a 37-43 record through 80 games. Following the Kings contest, Golden State will close its 2025-26 regular season on Sunday with a visit to the LA Clippers. The team will then turn its attention to the play-in tournament beginning Wednesday, where Curry’s veteran presence and proven clutch pedigree could once again prove decisive.
At 38 years old and in his 17th campaign, Curry shows no signs of slowing down. His ability to impact winning, stretch defenses to their breaking point, and elevate teammates remains as potent as ever. Passing Duncan—a player whose fundamental brilliance once seemed untouchable—serves as the latest reminder that Curry’s legend status was never in doubt. It has simply been reconfirmed, one precise three-point pull-up and record-climbing bucket at a time.