Basketball eras can’t be compared, but that doesn’t stop it from happening. The modern era believes its skills are superior to those of the early days. The previous generation believes modern players lack the toughness to succeed in theirs, and that offensive players are too protected nowadays. The back and forth is seemingly never-ending, with countless personalities having had their say over the years.

LeBron James went as far as saying, “You trying to tell me Giannis wouldn’t be able to play the NBA  in the 70s? Giannis would have 250 in the game in the 70s,”. But pace and strength aside, a major reason for the modern-day claims relates to Stephen Curry. The Warriors superstar singlehandedly changed the landscape of basketball to the point that every position needs to learn to expand its scoring range. He doesn’t encourage taking the kind of shots he would. But because the phenomenon has produced these moments so frequently, even the Baby Face Assassin knows what it did to the game.

“You want to leave the league in the better place than where you found it. The way you see the skill level right now, the way the range has taken over, you have guys shooting threes all over the court. All the way down the roster, I think this is the most skilled era of basketball,” Curry said on TODAY.

Curry’s influence is the biggest reason why. Before him, the three-pointer was an obscure shot. He turned it into a true weapon. Nowadays, phenoms such as Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg are highly regarded because of their ability to shoot at their size. Such talents are going to keep coming as the bar keeps being elevated. And the approach is logical. Three points amount to a higher score than two-pointers stacked together, and that singular observation has led to an influx of distance shooters in modern NBA.

However, does that make it a greater era of basketball? It’s almost pointless to argue. In the 1970s, there were players who surpassed heights with the available knowledge and creativity. The three-point line was added to the NBA in the 1979-80 season, and it simply took this much time for it to evolve into an hugely important part of how the game is played and seen.

Without those stepping stones, none of today’s flair would really exist. It’s the fundamentals that are being polished. So, although the skills today are overflowing, the old era felt the same rush watching their greats. However, the one thing this era is doing is reaching the pinnacle of health. Curry is 37, but his hunger still aims for the highest. And has anyone told you about what LeBron James is doing at 40?

Stephen Curry has been with the Warriors

After a decade in the league, Curry, LeBron James, KD, and more have become vintage stars. But their stature is still that of some of the best players in the league. Curry finished last season averaging 24.5 points and six assists. So even though at the twilight of his career, he and the Warriors aren’t looking at him as an aging star. On the other hand, KD and LeBron are obviously also producing at elite rates at 40 and 36 respectively.

And if there was any doubt about it, the Chef himself believes he is more than capable of leading the Warriors to more titles.  “Being able to extend your prime, going into your 17 and having this belief that I can be in the top of my game again and win at the highest level,” he added.

The Warriors are navigating a tough situation. They have Jonathan Kuminga on standby, unwilling to accept a renewed contract. At this point, it seems he’s heading towards taking the qualifying offer. That will severely hurt the Warriors’ future ability to make any trades. But the good news is their core is nicely settled and secure.

Curry and Draymond Green will most likely finish their career with the Warriors. Jimmy Butler looks to be in a happy place after an ugly split with the Miami Heat last season. Although complicated to build around them at this moment, the Warriors’ front office has some targets on their mind. A little ‘Curry magic’ could see them find some success for the upcoming season. That, and any high-profile moves they are able to pull off are only going to help their case.