Stephen Curry was on an epic heater with his 3-point shot in the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal game against France. Curry’s barrage of 3s – he made eight of them – all but saved Team USA from earning silver instead of gold. 

Late in the fourth quarter, with France still clinging to thoughts of a monumental upset, Curry had the ball at the top of the key and passed to Kevin Durant, one of basketball’s all-time great scorers and the leading scorer in U.S. Olympic history. 

Durant understood the assignment. He passed the ball back to Curry who launched a fadeaway 3 over Nic Batum and Evan Fournier.  

The made shot put the U.S. ahead 96-87 with 35 seconds left. Night, Night, France. 

The connection between Durant and Curry is obvious. They are linked because they were teammates, playing three seasons together and winning championships in 2017 and 2018. They’re also two of the greatest players ever, who helped define an era of the NBA, won championships, regular-season MVPs, Finals MVPs and Olympic gold.  

Durant is a 16-time All-Star and 12-time All-NBA selection, and Curry is a 12-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA honoree. Both are former scoring champions, All-Star MVPs and on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. Durant is No. 5 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, and Curry is No. 16.

Both are future Basketball Hall of Famers, and both remain relevant to their teams and the league.

They are not, however, defined by one another. Each forged their own path. Deep into their careers – season No. 20 for the 38-year-old Durant, season No. 18 for the 38-year-old Curry – they remain vital contributors to teams with championship aspirations. 

The two will play against each other for the 41st time on Wednesday when Curry and the Warriors face Durant and the Houston Rockets (9:30 ET, ESPN). 

Curry plays for the team that drafted him in 2009 and could be the last superstar to remain with the same team for his entire career. Durant, more in line with modern player movement, is with his fifth franchise.  

The Warriors are 8-3, winners of eight straight, and have the NBA’s second-best offense at 119 points per 100 possessions. Curry is averaging 30.6 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds and shooting 50.3% from the field, 45.7% on 3-pointers and 98.7% on free throws. The Warriors, who won three titles in four seasons and four in eight seasons, would love one more with Curry, Draymond Green and Coach Steve Kerr. 

STEPH DROPS 25 PTS IN 21 MINUTES.

8 STRAIGHT WINS FOR THE WARRIORS.

THEIR LONGEST WIN STREAK SINCE 2021-22. pic.twitter.com/NCsv9bSPiQ

— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2026

Durant’s role remains valuable to the Rockets even if he’s not scoring as much. His 21 points per game are the lowest since his rookie season, but Durant pointed out that his presence on the court makes Houston’s offense better. The 8-3 Rockets have the third-best offense (118.5 points per 100 possessions) with Durant shooting 49.6% from the field, 35.7% on 3s and 86.4% from the foul line. He’s also averaging 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 blocks. 

ABSOLUTE POSTER FROM KEVIN DURANT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/eKL5UsNclB

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2026

Storied history

In the previous 40 matchups, 33 were regular-season games and seven came in that classic 2016 Western Conference Finals when Curry’s Warriors came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Thunder. 

In those head-to-head matchups, Durant’s teams are 24-16. Curry has averaged 25.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 47.6% from the field and 41.4% on 3-pointers. Durant has averaged 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals and shot 47.6% from the field and 42.3% on 3s. 

There have been some classics between the two, including 31 times when at least one of them has scored at least 30 points in a game.  

• Curry’s pull-up 37-foot 3 with .6 seconds left in overtime to give the Warriors a 121-118 victory in Oklahoma City on Feb. 27, 2016. Curry had 46 points and six assists. 

• Durant’s 54-point game vs. the Warriors on Jan. 17, 2014 

• Curry had 36 points, eight assists and five rebounds in Golden State’s Game 7 victory against Oklahoma City on May 30, 2016. 

• Durant’s 45-point, 11-rebound performance against the Warriors on Jan. 31, 2010.

Lasting impact

Curry reimagined the way the game is played with his 3-point shooting, and Durant’s fluid ability to score from inside, outside and mid-range redefined what’s possible for a 6-11 forward. 

It’s been a treat for the NBA and basketball fans to watch Curry and Durant dazzle and put their immortal imprint on the game. 

And they still get it done. This season, Curry has generated games of 44, 31, 34 and 41 points and is shooting 50% on his past 56 3-point attempts. Durant had 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Monday’s victory against Denver. 

We’ve enjoyed watching Curry and Durant separately and together. And we will appreciate another opportunity to watch both at the same time. These games, they should be savored.  

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