Steph Curry

As he found the bottom of the net on a stop-and-rise triple that upped his point total to 49, Stephen Curry — in the greatest zone of his young career — high-stepped into a dance towards the floor’s opposite end, oblivious to even the teammates seeking to join his celebration. Not that he should’ve felt bad; as the New York Knicks attempted to swarm him with every defensive strategy possible, Curry hadn’t noticed them, either. Having seemingly reached the doorstep to greatness in 2012-13, the Golden State Warriors star entered Madison Square Garden on February 27, 2013 intent on officially kicking it down. In leaving the road crowd audibly confused on what emotion to feel, Curry offered a precursor of what the ensuing decade would entail: crafty, high-arc releases at the rim, 3-pointers from every angle and launch point, and answers for every defender one could send his way. Down their All-Star big, Golden State entrusted Curry with a full 48-minute workload, and he responded demonstratively, even in defeat. Meeting the challenge against the NBA’s scoring champion and the East’s No. 2 seed, Curry rained in 54 points (on 18 of 28 shooting), six rebounds, seven assists, and 11 3-pointers.