The greatest shooter in basketball has just reached another major milestone.

Stephen Curry made history on Monday by passing Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Golden State Warriors. He eclipsed the previous record of 17,783 points in a dominant 53-point output, leading the Warriors to a 116-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately for Denver, Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray suffered a torn ACL in the waning moments of the game. But that didn’t stop Curry from celebrating his new franchise record.

For Curry, the achievement was particularly significant due to who he passed on the record list, as Chamberlain is known for having an enormous influence and legacy in the game of basketball. Chamberlain averaged 30 points per game over his career, and is remembered for having the only 100-point game in NBA history. Curry passed Chamberlain’s total-point mark with 1:40 left in the first quarter on a layup, for his 18th and 19th points of the game.

Curry is known for single-handedly revolutionizing the manner in which basketball is played. His proclivity for the three-point shot, and ability to shoot at a previously unseen level from long range, has inspired a wave of younger athletes who strive to do the same. Curry has simply made the three much more relevant in the NBA.

In Monday’s game, Curry knocked down 10 three-point shots, his 18th time with 10 or more made threes in a game. He has accomplished that feat more than anyone in NBA history. Second on that list is Curry’s splash brother, Klay Thomson, with five such nights. It is clear that Curry lives in a realm of his own.

The two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA champion has stated that he plans on staying with the Warriors for the length of his career, which started when he was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. When he does decide to retire, it is undeniable that he will go down as one of the greatest and most influential players in the history of basketball.

A couple of weeks ago, in the absence of basketball games, ESPN ranked the top-74 players in the NBA’s history (74 because this season was the NBA’s 74th anniversary). On May13, ESPN released their top-10 players of all-time. You probably can guess who the top-10 were but here it is:

1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Bill Russell
5. Magic Johnson
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Larry Bird
8. Tim Duncan
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Shaquille O’Neal

Personally, I have some issues with the list. I think some guys should be higher while others are lower, but I will give my personal list later. Looking at the list however, here is why each guy has a case to be considered one of the ten best players in NBA history:

• Jordan:
  • Career Stats: 30.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 5.3 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game. 
  • Notable Accolades: 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time Finals MVP, 5-time Regular Season MVP, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time scoring champion, 14-time All-Star, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Jordan is one of the best to ever step on an NBA court, if you are watching The Last Dance, you would know how much Jordan was idolized around the world and how much respect his competitors had for him. In the 90s, everyone wanted to take on the Bulls and beat Jordan, but none of them could.
• James:
  • Career Stats (at least as of right now): 27.1 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 7.4 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 3-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 4-time League MVP, 16-time All Star, 3-time All Star Game MVP 12-time First team All NBA. 
  • The guy is the best player of this generation, he is a physical freak of nature, has had numerous moments during his career that can be considered iconic. The longevity of his success can arguably be the most impressive pair of his entire career.
• Abdul-Jabbar:
  • Career Stats: 24.6 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, 3.6 assists per game, 2.6 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 6-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 6-time League MVP, 19-time All Star, 10-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all time leader in points scored with 38,387 career points. He had one of the most unstoppable moves in league history with the skyhook. I mentioned his list of his achievements but the guy truly did it all, more MVPs than any other player, more All Star game appearances than any other player. The fact that he was so good and so dominant for so long is what is really impressive.
• Russell:
  • Career Stats: 15.1 points per game, 22.5 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game. 
  • Notable Accolades: 11-time NBA Champion, 5-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, Member of NBA’s. 25th, 35th, and 50th Anniversary Teams.
  • Despite not having the same accolades as the three guys ahead of him, that is partially because those things did not exist. There was not such a thing as a Finals MVP until his final championship in 1969, which went to Jerry West. They named the Finals MVP after Russell who is considered the ultimate winner in basketball history with 11 championships in 13 seasons. Blocks was not a stat during Russell’s career, but he was a prolific shot blocker if you watch the footage.
• Johnson:
  • Career Stats: 19.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 11.2 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 3-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, 2-time All Star Game MVP, 9-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • I mean when your nickname is ‘Magic,’ that means you are something special and that’s what Johnson was. The orchestrator of the Showtime Lakers, he was a wizard with the basketball in his hands, revolutionized the game with his size being a 6′ 9” point guard but had skills no one had ever seen before. He was the face of the NBA in the 80s, some say it was Bird, others Jordan, but I personally think it is without question Johnson.
• Chamberlain: 
  • Career Stats: 30.1 points per game, 22.9 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 2-time NBA Champion, 1-time Finals MVP,  4-time League MVP, 13-time All Star, 7-time First Team All NBA, 7-time scoring champion, 11-time rebounding champion. Member of NBA’s 35th and 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Chamberlain is the only player to score 100 points in a game, he averaged 50 points in a season, a truly dominant player. My one issue with ‘The Big Dipper,’ is that was this dominance more so of a byproduct with the era he played in. Sure there was Russell, but that is really it for centers in that era who posed any real challenge to Chamberlain. Who knows, maybe that’s just how dominant he really was that only one guy in the whole NBA stood a chance against him.
• Bird:
  • Career Stats: 24.3 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, 6.3 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 3-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 3-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, 9-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Bird’s career was going to be compared to that of Magic Johnson’s the moment the two were drafted into the NBA, and neither balked at the challenge. Bird is one of the best shooters in league history, as an extremely smooth jumper, and I think he is one of those guys who can thrive in almost any era, which you can’t say about some guys on this list. 
• Duncan:
  • Career Stats: 19 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, 2.2 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 2-time League MVP, 15-time All Star, 10-time First Team All NBA, 8-time First Team All Defense.
  • The guy lived up to his nickname as ‘The Big Fundamental’ as he was not a guy who would wow you with his flashiness or was a big personality. He just went out onto the court, knew what his job was and more often than not, did it. When the game was on the line, he would show up and execute. One of the best winners in league history as he has the most wins in the regular season for a player who played for one team with 1,001.
• Bryant:
  • Career Stats: 25.0 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 4.7 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 1-time League MVP, 18-time All Star, 4-time All Star Game MVP, 11-time First Team All NBA, 9-time First Team All Defense. 
  • It is unfortunate that Bryant’s life got cut tragically short and he will be unable to attend his Hall Of Fame induction. The guy was the ultimate competitor, the ‘Mamba Mentality’ became something that players feared. Second most points in a single game in NBA history with 81. In his final game, he scored 60 points. He was the closest thing to Jordan we have ever seen. A legend that died too young.
• O’Neal:
  • Career Stats: 23.7 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game, 2.3 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 4-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 1-time League MVP, 15-time All Star, 3-time All Star Game MVP, 8-time First Team All NBA, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • The most dominant player in NBA history, without question. Compared to Russell, Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal would probably beat all of them. He changed how the NBA was played because of how good he was, had multiple rules changed because of some of the things he would do on the basketball court. The guy had an electric personality and that showed in his many nicknames and that translated to his play on the court.

As promised, I said I would give my top 10 list for the ten greatest players in NBA history. This is strictly my opinion, but here is how I thought ESPN should have done their rankings.

1. Jordan
2. James
3. Johnson
4. Abdul-Jabbar
5. O’Neal
6. Duncan
7. Bryant
8. Bird
9. Chamberlain
10. Russell

Let me know your list of the top-10 NBA players of all time on social media, @usports on Twitter and Instagram

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki passed Wilt Chamberlain and moved into No. 6 on the NBA’s all-time points scored leaderboard. He scored four points in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans to pass the former leader.

Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki Beats Wilt Chamberlain

The shot was emblematic of the Mavs’ current situation, with Dirk taking the reins one last time. Wunderkind Luka Doncic passed the ball to Nowitzki near the top of the key. He then turned and hit his signature fadeaway jumper.

After the historic shot, Dirk hustled back onto defense. But when play stopped, Dallas showed a tribute video for the German as the crowd went wild inside the American Airlines Center.

Nowitzki trails No. 5 Michael Jordan by more than 800 points. Even if he did come back for another season, he’d have to average close to 10 points per game to surpass him. With his age increasing, that seems unlikely. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is the only active player in the top five. His 32,439 career points are good enough for No. 4 all time.

Nowitzki finished the game with eight points on 3-for-6 shooting. His Mavs would fall 129-125 in overtime.

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When asked about the historic shot, Nowitzki said, “I took my time and faced him up like I’ve done a million times and tried to shoot over him. It was good to get it over with in the first two shots.”

Doncic recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 13rebound, and 10 assists, including the pass to set Dirk up.

“He deserves everything good that happens to him,” Doncic said. “It’s amazing the things he has accomplished, but this one is really amazing for him.”

Despite missing games due to injury and reduced playing time, Dirk has remained a reliable player off the bench and a leader in the locker room.

“Not many people on the outside know the kinds of sacrifices to be on the floor to accomplish something like this,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s just another credit to how he’s approached his entire career.”

Another magnificent performance for Lakers forward Lebron James concluded with a gaudy stat line, a runaway win against the Portland Trailblazers, and an ascension to fifth all-time in NBA scoring history.

King James Hits Another Big NBA Mark

“It’s all about hard work,” said James, beaming after dropping 44 points on the Blazers and passing Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list with 31,425 total points. “When I’m able to do what I love to do, do it at this level, even being mentioned with the greats who have played this game — it just always brings me back to my home town of Akron,” James said after his legendary night.  “And knowing where I’ve come from, knowing how hard it was to get to this point, it’s just never being in satisfied mode.”

Just as the first few chapters of his career transcribed dramatically, the points that hoisted him amongst the hallowed company of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came off of a commanding and-one in a prime matchup. Atop a superb list of sporting legends, James now trails His Airness by just 867 points, and 2,218 points behind the Mamba for third all time.

Teammates of the King revered in his legendary aura, taking to social media to adorn their veteran leader. Forward Brandon Ingram couldn’t find the words to appraise the magnitude of his elder statesman, using only emojis in a post of James in the Lakers’ alternative uniforms.

Kyle Kuzma also had a short declaration of praise for the new addition to the league’s greatest names.

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Lakers team president and NBA legend Magic Johnson also congratulated the player he recruited this past offseason with grace.

The Lakers’ next game isn’t until Saturday night against the Magic. The team will get some time to commemorate James’ impressive career milestone and rest ahead of a road trip beginning in Orlando.