Although the Toronto Raptors took Game 1 of the best-of-seven NBA Finals series against the Golden State Warriors, they were unable to contain two-time MVP Stephen Curry, who erupted for 34 points. Head coach Nick Nurse has been very impressed with what the All-Star guard has been able to do not only in the series opener but also throughout his career.

In an interview with USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, Nurse called Curry a “transformational player” because of his impact in the evolution of the game of basketball. The first-time Raptors coach also added that the younger generation is following Curry's footsteps in terms of their style of play.

“I call him a transformational player. He's got kids all over the world shooting from 40 feet away. I think even as you've seen the three-point shot become so rapidly used in the last three or four years, a lot of that is because of Golden State and Steph and Klay and some of the other guys, KD, the other guys they have.”

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Although it was Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns who first explored an offensive scheme that's focused on shooting 3-pointers back in the 2000s, it was Curry and the Warriors who perfected it. The fact that they are in their fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance is a testament to how effective their system has been.

When everything's said and done, Curry will go down as the greatest shooter in the history of basketball. He may not be in the conversation for the greatest player of all-time, but he will definitely be mentioned as one of the biggest reasons as to why basketball is being played the way it is now not only in the NBA but in the whole world too.