STEPHEN CURRY sunk 16 three-pointers to shatter the All-Star Game record of most threes made to help Team LeBron win over Team Durant in 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland on Sunday.

Curry left a slew of broken records after scoring a game-high 50 and winning All-Star MVP honors.

The Warriors superstar guard set new marks for the most 3-pointers in an All-Star quarter (6), half (8) and game (16) while also passing James Harden on the midseason classic’s total made 3s list (39).

Born in Akron, Ohio, Curry made his own homecoming a spectacle few will forget. His second quarter alone was memorable, a vintage barrage with six makes from downtown that helped him set the single-quarter and half records.

That proved merely the warmup.

The peak of Curry’s performance occurred in the third quarter, when the league’s all-time leader in 3-pointers drilled a dizzying five tries from deep in 128 seconds. The eight-time All-Star had the incredulous Cleveland crowd buzzing before and after every shot.

The stretch saw Curry snap the All-Star Game record with his 13th trey and as the regular-season record with his 15th — all before the third quarter was over.

Curry’s performance was motivated by charity as much as showmanship. Per ESPN’s Nick DePaula, the Ohio-born superstar was set to donate US$1,000 for every point he scored,  US$3,000 for every 3 he made, and US$10,000 if he won All-Star MVP honors, all to the Cleveland Metro School District.

Curry, who earlier this season passed Ray Allen for first on the all-time made 3s list, was honored as a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team at halftime of Sunday’s All-Star Game.

“It’s pretty special, obviously being back in Ohio,” Curry said, seconds after being handed the inaugural Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy. “The trophy is very special. Very humble, very blessed.”

On a night both players were among the greats of the game who were honored during a halftime ceremony celebrating the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, Curry and LeBron James showed why they continue to stand out among today’s best.

Curry missed his final 3-point attempt that would have allowed him to surpass Davis. But with James’ team needing a basket to reach the target score of 163 points, they couldn’t afford to keep feeding Curry.

So James pulled up from deep on the right side for the winning bucket, making him 5-0 in the format where the leading vote-getters in each conference draft teams.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, and James finished with 24 in his old home. Joel Embiid led Team Durant with 36 points.

The All-Star Game’s return to Cleveland was expected to be James’ night. He is the Cavaliers franchise’s greatest player, having led them to their only NBA championship in 2016.

Instead, he was upstaged by Curry, who was born in the same Akron hospital three years later.

“This guy is from a different planet. He literally has an automatic sniper connected to his arm, and when he lets it go, not only himself, but everybody on the floor, in the stands, on TV, on their phones, whatever you are watching on, you think it’s going in every time,” James said. “Nine times out of 10 and sometimes 10 times out of 10, it does go in.”

To be out there and watch that kid from Akron as well shoot the ball the way he shot it, it was unbelievable,” James said. “It was pretty cool.”

It was a thrilling finish to an All-Star Game played again before a packed house after the 2021 game was contested in a mostly empty State Farm Arena in Atlanta, moved there because of the coronavirus pandemic after it was originally scheduled for Indianapolis. (SD-Agencies)