Stephen Curry

Blessed with what many consider to be one of the best jump shots in the history of the NBA, Stephen Curry is best known as a point guard for the Golden State Warriors whose remarkable accuracy and mastery of the perimeter helped to lead his team to a 2015 championship and broke countless league records.

Wardell Stephen Curry II was born on March 14, 1988 in Akron, Ohio, to Sonya and Dell Curry, the latter of whom was the all-time point leader for the Charlotte Hornets. His father's career led to his own interest in basketball, and the younger Curry showed a remarkable aptitude for the game on school and amateur teams in Toronto, Ontario during his father's two-year tenure with the Raptors.

When his family returned to Charlotte, Curry became a powerhouse for the Charlotte Christian High School team, earning all-state and all-conference titles. Despite his stellar performance, Curry received no scholarship offers from major conference schools, and chose to play for the Wildcats at Davidson College. He amassed a stellar record during his three years there, breaking school records in scoring while earning NCAA Division 1 scoring titles and placement on the NCAA All-American first and second teams.

At the end of his fourth year at Davidson, Curry entered the 2009 NBA draft and was selected seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors. In his rookie year, he averaged 17.5 points and made the NBA All-Rookie First Team, but suffered a setback in the 2011-2012 season due to various injuries. These health issues gave sports observers pause when the Warriors offered Curry a four-year, $44 million contract extension for the 2012-2013 season, but he defied expectations by not only becoming the Warriors' leader in three-pointers, but the first player in NBA history to make 1,000 three-pointers in fewer than 88 games.

He was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 2015 and led the Warriors to their first championship in over four decades that same year. Though occasionally sidelined with injuries, Curry's dominance as the league's best shooter continued unbroken into 2016, when he became the first player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in four straight seasons.