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Stephen Curry is the greatest show in basketball and the NBA's top draw. TV ratings from the past six years will show that fans turned in numbers to watch the baby-faced assassin put on a shooting barrage. It is no surprise that the league schedules the Golden State Warriors to play on opening night.
A TV viewership survey asked "The NBA stars most likely to get fans to watch a game their favorite team is not playing in". The maximum votes went to Stephen Curry by a landslide.
The two-time MVP also received the maximum votes by a big margin when the survey polled "Player that fans are willing to spend $50+ extra to see play". Curry's marksman-like shooting is such that he oozes greatness every time he steps on the court.
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will take on the LA Lakers on opening night 2021
The Golden State Warriors headline the 2021-22 NBA season opening night with a marquee matchup against the LA Lakers. The two Western Conference rivals will play after a matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and holders, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Whenever LeBron James and Stephen Curry face off, it's must-watch television, be it an NBA Finals series, play-in tournament clash or regular-season matchup
The LA Lakers will focus their entire defensive attention on Curry, as he is capable of going nuclear at any given moment. As we move closer to opening night tip-off, let's revisit the last five opening night games Stephen Curry has played in.
#1 December 22nd, 2020 vs Brooklyn Nets
The NBA decided to make former teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant clash on the opening night of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Golden State Warriors were without Klay Thompson, and were ushering a new era for the team, whereas the Nets had recently formed a title-contending team with Durant and Kyrie Irving. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors lost the game in a blowout, and Curry wasn't happy with the meeting.
Stephen Curry scored 20 points on 7-21 shooting from the field, but made just 2-10 three-pointers. He did have ten assists, four rebounds and two steals. Irving scored a game-high 26 points, while Durant chipped in with 22 for the Nets.
#2 October 16th, 2018 vs OKC Thunder
The opening night of the 2018-19 season commenced with the Golden State Warriors' ring ceremony. Stephen Curry received his third championship ring before proceeding to put on a show for the Bay Area fans. The Warriors had lost the last two years on opening night, but a showtime performance from the two-time MVP ended that streak.
Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson got the same number of shots in the game, but Curry was the standout player on the night. He scored a game-high 32 points on 11-20 shooting from the field, including 5-9 from beyond the arc.
Curry also registered eight rebounds, nine assists and a steal. Meanwhile, Durant scored 27, while Thompson had an off-night, scoring just 14. Paul George scored the most for the Thunder, tallying 27 points.
#3 October 17th, 2017 vs Houston Rockets
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors had their second ring ceremony on this night before facing a new Houston Rockets squad.
This game was an absolute thriller, as the Rockets fought back with a 10-3 run in the final few minutes to win the game. In a rare occurrence, the Dubs' Big 3 of Curry, Thompson and Durant all endured off-shooting nights, and Nick Young scored a team-high 23 points off the bench.
Nevertheless, the Warriors had a sizable lead in the game, but the Rockets never gave up. In the final seconds, Kevin Durant took a mid-range pull-up shot from the baseline that went in at the buzzer, and the arena exploded in celebration. However, the shot was disallowed, as the ball was still on Durant's fingertips when the time expired.
The Houston Rockets featured Chris Paul for the first time, and it took a half-second delay for them to win the game. Stephen Curry dropped 22 points on 8-18 shooting, including 3-9 from downtown, and five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Durant had 20, while Thompson registered 16. James Harden scored a team-high 27 points for the Rockets.
#4 October 25th, 2016 vs San Antonio Spurs
Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs ruined Kevin Durant's debut for the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs had squandered a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals in 2016 before making the landmark Durant signing. The game was expected to be a rout for the Warriors, but instead, the Spurs won the game in a 129-100 blowout.
Leonard dropped a game-high 35 points. Curry dropped 26, while Durant scored 27. Stephen Curry shot 9-18 from the field while sinking 3-10 from the three-point range and registering three rebounds and four assists. Curry said after the game that the Spurs had an answer for every run, and the Warriors couldn't respond.
#5 October 27th, 2015 vs New Orleans Pelicans
After the Golden State Warriors won the 2015 NBA championship, the chatter around the league at the time was that they would not be able to repeat that triumph. It was perceived that the Warriors only won because Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers were injured.
That meant, Stephen Curry and the Warriors were on a mission this season. This game was the first win in a record-setting 73-win season and the first of a 25-game opening win streak.
Stephen Curry's previous career-high in a season opener was 25, but he scored 40 in this game against the Pelicans. He shot 14-26 from the field, including 5-12 from the three-point range. He also registered six rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green scored nine, eight and ten points, respectively. But the reigning MVP Curry's 40-point total carried the Golden State Warriors through.
Guess the Lakers players!
