Whether it is breaking his own three-point shot record over two months before the season’s end, or winning games with his outrageous buzzer beaters, there is no doubt that Stephen “Steph” Curry has ignited. As the fans watch three-pointer after three-pointer fall for Curry, many are confounded by his brilliance, inquiring about his journey to the success and fame that he has achieved today.

The truth is that his performance this season has not been the result of luck or genetics, but rather the result of a lifetime of hard work and dedication to the sport. Curry was born in Akron, Ohio, to Dell Curry, an accomplished NBA player for 16 years himself, and Sonya Curry, a star volleyball player in college. Curry always states that his father taught him the fundamentals of the game, but that it was his mom who was responsible for instilling the discipline and character in him that he very much needed to succeed.

After a successful high school career at Charlotte Christian School, Curry chose to attend and play at Davidson College in North Carolina. While there, Curry helped the Wildcats in the NCAA National Tournament earn a spot in the ‘Elite 8’ in 2009. In that same season, he was named an All American, the Southern Conference Player of the Year, and was named the Division 1 Scoring Leader of the year.

By the end of his time at Davidson, Curry was a star. He was making recurrent appearances on Conan and was even nominated for an ESPY. His outstanding career at Davidson led to his being picked seventh overall to the Golden State Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Steph Curry had a breakout season his rookie year, and his performance netted him an All-Rookie selection, as well as the runner-up spot for the Rookie of the Year Award. He was also selected to compete with the USA Men’s Basketball Senior National Team, which won the gold medal at the 2010 World Championships. This was really just the beginning of Curry’s journey, as what happened thereafter was something that no one could have expected.

A few seasons later, Curry had a breakout season, breaking Jason Richardson’s franchise record for most three-pointers in a career, with 701. He also finished the season averaging 24 points and 8.5 assists a game. This led to him being selected to his first NBA All-Star Game as a starter.

In 2014, Curry really started to turn the heads of basketball fans all around the world. He broke his own record of the most three-point shots made in a single season, led the Warriors to a NBA Championship for the first time since 1975, and received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

With millions of people watching him play, Curry has evidently done a great job of handling the pressure. He has made the NBA more than just a brand— he has provided it with a large global audience. He broke his three-point shot record again this season, but this time he did it two months before the season ended. The ease and speed with which he takes his shots is generally unheard of, so it is no wonder that he has revolutionized the game, shown by how he helped the Warriors to the best start in NBA history. This is only the beginning of the Steph Curry era.