The Mystery of Stephen Curry and February 27th

Everyone has their good days, and Stephen Curry is no exception. For the star player of the Golden State Warriors, it is hard to find a better day than February 27. Whether by coincidence or not, he always manages to create special moments on the opponent's court.

Most recently, on February 27 local time at the home of the Orlando Magic, Kia Center Stadium, Florida, Curry scored 56 points, including 12 three-pointers, to lead the Warriors to a 121-115 victory. It was the fourth-highest scoring record of his career.

Every time Curry shoots, the ball seems to find its way to the basket. The 36-year-old guard is considered the greatest shooter on Earth, but he doesn't always smell good in every game. Unlike that date, everything went well.

Curry experienced the magic firsthand. "When you have a night like this, you can do all sorts of things. You are in a rhythm, and it feels like the ball is finding you. I have to channel that energy on February 27 for the entire time," he said.

"Chef Curry," as he is nicknamed, has achieved the feat of making more than 10 three-point shots in a single game eight times. Interestingly, three of those instances occurred on February 27. A special night also unfolded on two occasions in previous years.

The first magical moment occurred at Madison Square Garden, the home of the New York Knicks, in 2013. He was only 25 years old and not yet highly regarded. Everything changed instantly with an achievement of 54 points, including 11 three-point shots. Curry began to be touted as the future face of the NBA.

Three years later, on the same date, Curry returned to action after securing the championship title and the Most Valuable Player trophy in the previous season. He made waves by scoring 46 points from 12 three-point shots at the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Paycom Center Stadium.

Uniquely, Curry won the game with a three-point shot from nearly half-court. He seemed to reaffirm his status as a figure at the top of the NBA's food chain and the most influential in the revolution of the modern game. "There has never been anything like this in the history of basketball," praised LeBron James, the most dominant basketball player of the 21st century.

So what does a great performance in one game mean in a long season? For other players, it might be nothing. But not for Curry. Learning from history, the miracle on February 27th always has something special to do with the player with the number 30 on his back.

In 2013, Curry was on fire because the Warriors had finally found the right foundation to excel. He was joined by Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The trio first came together in the 2012-2013 season. As a result, the Warriors ended a streak of five straight playoff failures.

Curry didn't lose in the early rounds of his first playoff appearance either. The Warriors made it all the way to the conference semifinals, before being defeated by the San Antonio Spurs, who were the runners-up that season. The Warriors' dynasty began from there.

A no less special moment occurred in 2016. Curry grew up, as did Thompson and Green. The Warriors were so hard to beat. Curry won his second MVP title in the 2015-2016 season, while the Warriors created the best record in the regular season (73 wins-9 losses) surpassing the achievements of the Chicago Bulls dynasty in 1995-1996.

In terms of achievements, this season was actually not that special for Curry. He even "gave up" in the middle of the season because he did not get enough support from the organization. When asked about the arrival of new star players, Curry sounded resigned.

However, the momentum turned around suddenly after a player trade in early February 2025. 35-year-old star Jimmy Butler joined the Warriors from the Miami Heat. He was exchanged for one of them, Andrew Wiggins, a player who helped lead the Warriors to the championship in 2022.

Since Thompson decided to move to the Dallas Mavericks at the beginning of the season, the Warriors have lost their spirit. There is no longer the trio that has maintained the dynasty for more than a decade. Unexpectedly, the Butler trade, which was more of a desperate move, became a turning point.

Butler has been able to fill the hole in the Warriors' trio so far. Since his arrival, the Warriors have recorded an impressive run of 7 wins - 1 loss. They have the same record as the 6th ranked Los Angeles Clippers (32-27). Previously, the Warriors were almost out of the top 10.

The change is expected to be able to re-motivate Curry. In addition to February 27, he was also able to record an average of 31 points after Butler's presence. With Butler, Curry no longer bears the burden alone on the court.

“Steph is like the DJ (disk jockey) at a party. Draymond is the security guy who keeps the DJ and the party going. Jimmy is the dancer on the dance floor who can move to the beat of any song. They have the right ingredients for success,” former Warriors player Baron Davis said on The Draymond Green Show podcast.

From the special moment on February 27 this year, a Curry revival was seen. He was motivated to create something special, like before. Another positive sign after the Butler trade, "Chef Curry" also successfully won the 2025 All-Star MVP title.

Curry's first and last All-Star MVP was in 2022. About four months later, he stood on top of the world to lift the championship trophy for the fourth time. Something similar could very well happen this season. (AP)