NEW YORK -- The Warriors playing at Madison Square Garden without Steph Curry doesn't feel the same. It's a major bummer for Curry, the Warriors, the NBA as a whole and basketball fans everywhere.
What makes the situation even more of a letdown with Curry rehabbing his injured left shoulder is that Tuesday night's game against the New York Knicks will be the first time Golden State has been back since Curry broke the all-time 3-point record last season.
Plus, the unforgettable moment nearly was one year to the date of the Warriors stepping foot again in one of the most famous buildings in all of sports.
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SIGN UP HERE Curry entered Dec. 14, 2021 needing only two 3-pointers to break Ray Allen's all-time record of 2,973. The Warriors superstar already had cemented himself as the greatest shooter in NBA history. The number 2,974 forever will be connected to him, and on his third attempt of the night, the record officially belonged to him.
As perhaps the game's greatest showman ever, Curry drilled his first attempt of the night to tie the record. At the 7:33 mark, he stood alone as the ball swished through the nets in New York. Kevon Looney immediately fouled Knicks guard Derrick Rose, letting Steve Kerr call a timeout so Curry, his family and all the Warriors could soak in the moment.
Looney has been Curry's teammate his entire eight-year career. When asked Tuesday at Warriors shootaround which three things he'll never forget from Curry checking another huge box off his Hall of Fame career, the Warriors center first turned to the fans.
"Just the crowd, probably No. 1," Looney said. "We were the road team, but everyone was anticipating that game. They gave us a lot of love."
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Second on Looney's list might come as a surprise. It wasn't even so much about the game or the record.
On a night that will forever live in NBA history, the Warriors had a hectic travel schedule after playing the night before in Indiana. So much so, the 26-year-old took it back to his travel basketball days.
"No. 2 is, we actually flew in the same day and played a game. That was the first time that's ever happened to me in the NBA," Looney said laughing through a big smile. "It felt like an AAU game or something."
Before the 2021-22 season even began, experts were predicting how long it would take Curry to break the odds. With his long history of defying odds, it was assumed it would happen in no time. In reality, the record fell on the Warriors' 28th game of the season, and the 27th that Curry played in.
His emotions were seen and felt the second three points were added to the scoreboard. Tears came down hugging his parents, Dell and Sonya, during the Warriors' timeout. Once the game ended, it was party time for Steph and his teammates in the Warriors' locker room.
While the record is an individual one, Curry never has been a me guy. Rarely does he allow himself to boast. That's part of what makes him the greatest players of all time, also being one of basketball's best teammates ever. To Looney, Curry being the new all-time 3-point leader was a record that all of his teammates could be proud of.
"And then just how big the moment was for Steph," Looney said. "Leading up to that game there was a lot of pressure on him to break the record and we all felt that type of pressure. For him to finally get it, we all felt like we did something too."
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Though he'll be stuck to the sidelines in street clothes, Curry is sure to feel some chills when he steps back on the floor at Madison Square Garden. The day he does decide to retire, Curry will have a highlight reel that can span hours.
Near the front of the tape will be one of Steph's most iconic shots yet, hands in the air before an ecstatic Draymond Green for a hug that says it all.