Stephen Curry just turned 38 over the weekend, celebrating the auspicious day with his family and loved ones. Among them was his dad, Dell Curry, who played for 16 years in the NBA. He spent a decade with the Charlotte Hornets while raising Steph and his brother, Seth Curry, preparing them to follow in his footsteps and make a mark in the big leagues. But even he could not foresee the greatness that was in front of him all his life.

In a recent episode of Fanduel’s flagship NBA show Run It Back, Hornets announcer Eric Collins revealed Dell’s initial skepticism regarding Steph’s NBA career prospects.

“Dell is the most surprised person that this has happened,” Collins said on the show. “He literally didn’t think that [Steph] was going to be more than just kind of a college player. Maybe like a Davidson player…It wasn’t until Bob McKillop, the long-time head coach, came up and said, ‘I think your son has a chance to be better than a college player’ that Dell even entertained the thought that it could possibly happen.”

Dell Curry got a taste of what Stephen could truly achieve soon after he had retired. The father-son duo were playing a one-on-one game in the backyard, and the then 14-year-old Steph defeated his dad. Dell told ESPN that losing to his son hurt, but he never went for a rematch. Based on what he saw from this harmless game, he wasn’t sure if he could ever beat Steph in the game.

Steph’s career at Davidson College was a three-year supernova that redefined what a mid-major guard could achieve. Curry arrived at Davidson as a skinny freshman recruited due to his 6’2” frame with a history of ankle injuries. He exploded for 21.5 PPG (second among freshmen nationally), setting Davidson freshman records with 730 points and 112 threes while leading the Southern Conference in scoring. It turned him from an overlooked recruit into a national sensation.

Curry finished as the NCAA scoring champ at 28.6 PPG and became Davidson’s all-time leading scorer (2,488 points), but opted out early for the 2009 NBA draft. But this was only the beginning of the iconic player’s era-defining career. In 2015, he even eclipsed his father’s career total of 3-pointers, which stood at 1,245. Stephen’s total at that time was 1,248. He’d even signed the ball with the date and his and his father’s stats, put it in a glass case, and sent it to his father.

“The success he’s had, after a short amount of time in the league. It’s great,” Dell told ESPN after Stephen achieved that feat. “I’m just happy. I’m not only a dad, but a fan of the league and the game, and to have a son play so well on a really good team is just icing on the cake.”

16 seasons and four championship rings later, Steph has surpassed his father’s legacy by a fair distance, changing the very essence of the league and helping it transition to a new era of basketball. Now, he has no problem believing in Steph’s power, especially when it comes to declaring which basketball family is the most powerful.

Dell Curry now thinks the Curry name itself is the best in basketball

Dell Curry had a valid reason to think his son would not make it as a pro. Stephen had to settle for playing at Davidson College, despite his father having played at Virginia Tech. But now that his career has long outshone his Dell’s, the elder Curry now welcomes the fact that his son is able to reach so many heights. In fact, he even thought that the three Curry men have the most basketball points as a family.

Stephen and Dell appeared on The Athletic Show, where host Marcus Thompson dared the elder Curry to say that his last name was the more prolific family when compared to that of LeBron James. Dell Curry, ever the good sport, owned up to the challenge. “I am,” he said. “Ain’t afraid of it. Absolutely. Yeah, that’s what we are here for. Somebody got to say it.”

They are in strong competition with LeBron James’ clan, which has tallied a total of 43,290 points. But when Seth Curry’s points are brought to the mix, the Curry household has a total of 44,620 points. Dell Curry can comfortably say that he and his sons are the best father-son trio in American basketball.

However, this wouldn’t have been possible if Stephen Curry had turned out to be like Dell predicted. The younger Curry has a career total of 26,447 points, more than twice his father’s numbers  (12,670). This was only because Stephen Curry grew up to be a generational player.