Photo: Paul Kuroda, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Tam Duong Jr. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Photo: Paul Kuroda, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle

Stephen Curry’s appeal, in many ways, stretches beyond majestic three-point shots rippling cleanly through the net. It also traces to his joyous, animated exuberance on the court, as if he were still a wide-eyed kid prancing around the playground.

That kid turns 30 on Wednesday.

Curry reaches this milestone as a transcendent figure on the NBA landscape. Not only did he earn two Most Valuable Player awards in his 20s, and lead the Warriors to two championships, he also reshaped the way basketball is played.

Golden State general manager Bob Myers started to realize Curry’s impact several years ago, when Myers checked the stat sheet one night and noticed Curry took 12 or 13 threes. That once would have counted as outlandish, a threat to the fabric of James Naismith’s game, but Myers barely blinked.

Curry spearheaded the three-point revolution, making it perfectly acceptable to shoot often from long distance. Now teams occasionally attempt more threes than twos, and the earth doesn’t spin off its axis. Curry’s success beyond the arc gave a generation the license to launch.

“I think he’ll be appreciated even more in hindsight,” Myers said. “Most players have to move toward the league, but Steph made the NBA move toward the way he plays.”

Even so, Curry’s 30th birthday propels him into new territory. History suggests it’s an imposing task for NBA players, and especially guards, to remain productive deep into their 30s. Time chips away at their quickness, injuries become more difficult to shake, dynamic young players emerge.

Curry — who tweaked his troublesome right ankle Thursday night and will miss Friday night’s game in Portland — recognizes these challenges. He also finds it “pretty crazy” he’s on the brink of turning 30, after an extraordinary decade in which he blossomed from a slender, baby-faced prospect at Davidson College into the face of the NBA’s most high-profile franchise.

“My 20s were amazing, on and off the court,” Curry said. “I hope the good continues.”

Photo: Lance Iversen / The Chronicle

Nearly nine years have passed since the Warriors selected Curry with the No. 7 overall choice in the 2009 draft. Minnesota took point guards Ricky Rubio (who has had an ordinary career) and Jonny Flynn (out of the league since 2012) with the previous two picks.

Curry has since elevated himself into a lofty realm, measured as much against all-time greats as the top players of his era. Consider his achievements in a historical context:

•Curry became the 11th player (and third guard) to win at least two MVP awards before turning 30. The others: Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and LeBron James.

•His career scoring average of 23.1 ranks 22nd in NBA history, just behind George Mikan. The only active players above Curry on the list are James (No. 4), teammate Kevin Durant (No. 5) and Carmelo Anthony (No. 16).

•Curry stands seventh all-time with 2,126 three-pointers. He soon will pass Jamal Crawford and Paul Pierce to climb into the top five. Curry is more than 600 ahead of Ray Allen’s pace; Allen made a league-record 2,973 threes in his career.

•Curry ranks fourth in career three-point percentage at 43.6, behind Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (45.4), Hubert Davis (44.1) and Drazen Petrovic (43.7).

Kerr recalled the moment he suspected Curry’s influence might spread. Kerr, then a broadcaster, sat in a Miami hotel bar with his TNT colleagues in 2013, watching Curry brazenly take (and make) shots from well beyond the three-point arc in playoff series against Denver and San Antonio.

Kerr marveled at Curry’s range — and, as we’ve discovered in the past five years, so did a wave of young players eager to follow suit.

“Steph has changed the game dramatically, and where I’ve really seen it is the number of guys shooting from 5 or 6 feet outside the three-point line,” Kerr said. “That was just never something you saw before.”

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Mike D’Antoni had started pushing the game toward the perimeter several years earlier as Phoenix’s head coach, but Curry gave the movement a leading man. Before long, NBA teams loaded up on long-range shooters to space the court — witness this season’s D’Antoni-coached Rockets — and defenses responded by extending farther from the basket, guarding the arc with unprecedented vigor.

That creates space on the court, including driving lanes. Curry has adapted, shooting more mid-range jumpers and slicing to the basket more frequently. He’s averaging a career-high six free-throw attempts per game this season, up from 4.6 last season.

“I think Steph and many players, as they get close to 30, are near the height of their basketball intelligence,” Myers said. “Thinking the game is very important in the NBA, understanding how to be efficient and economical.

“The evolution of getting to the line, understanding what’s a good shot, how to manage a game — those are the things Steph is constantly improving on, and he can keep getting better.”

The equation also includes taking care of his body. Curry said it helped when he switched to a gluten-free diet in recent years. He also learned to dial back his off-court obligations, after reaching a “scheduling peak” about three years ago.

His personal life is plenty busy, with wife Ayesha — who has a thriving career as a cook/restaurateur — and daughters Riley (age 5) and Ryan (2). The Currys are expecting a third child this summer.

Curry finds a template for this work/family balance in his dad, Dell, who played 16 years in the NBA. Stephen Curry hopes to match Dell’s longevity, and he knows the quest already has started.

“What you do now sets up how you’ll feel in four, five, six years,” Curry said. “If you just rely on youth and athleticism and kind of free-wheel it, that will come back to haunt you later.”

Seven players in NBA history have participated in more than 1,400 regular-season games. Not coincidentally, six of the seven were centers or forwards; longtime Utah point guard John Stockton is the exception.

This makes sense, because guards run more and thus demand more of their legs. Seven-footers also are harder to find, so teams with a need at center are more apt to keep an aging big man than an aging guard.

Still, as Curry moves into his 30s, it’s worth remembering some premier guards broke down soon after crossing the threshold. Three-time All-Star Kevin Johnson, a Cal alum, averaged 20.1 points the season he turned 31 — and didn’t average double figures again, his career cut short by leg injuries. Dwyane Wade’s player-efficiency rating has dropped every year since he turned 30.

The flip side includes Stockton, who excelled until his retirement at age 41, and Steve Nash, who remained productive into his late 30s. One NBA executive pointed out that exceptional outside shooters tend to last longer than guards who rely on explosive quickness and slashing to the hoop.

Curry, especially given his recurring ankle problems, could become a good test case for this theory.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

“I think how I play on the court will be the slowest part to change, just because I’m pretty comfortable with how I create space and use my shot as a threat,” he said. “I’ve never been a blow-by, top-speed type of guy, so I have that in my favor for longevity.”

Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser, who works with Curry nearly every day after practice, realizes Curry will lose some speed one day. That might be when Curry spends more time at off-guard, handling the ball less and helping spread the defense with his shooting.

Fraser said Curry’s distinctive skill set will extend his career.

“Most of the time, whether you’re a player or coach, the game tells you it’s time to go,” Fraser said. “Steph is unique and different. I think he’ll decide when he leaves.”

Or, as Myers said, “His ability to shoot will serve him well. Maybe he’s not the starting point guard at 37 or 38, but you still have to deal with him — and he might hit five threes in a game, or 10.”

This is all conjecture, of course. Curry remains in his prime, even after he hits the big 3-0 on Wednesday. NBA players are stretching conventional boundaries in 2018, anyway, as Cleveland’s James illustrates at 33.

Fraser jokes that Curry will never age, in part because of his pleasant demeanor. He handles pressure and scrutiny with striking ease, a habit he hopes will extend his career for many years to come.

Maybe he still is that wide-eyed kid on the playground.

“I try to bring positivity and joy around everything I do,” Curry said. “If that’s the case, you’re never really laboring — your body and your mind can respond. That’s a healthy way to approach life.”

Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick

Threes before 30

The top 10 list of three-pointers made before age 30 (current age if not yet 30):

Name 3FG Stephen Curry 2,126 James Harden (28) 1,608 Klay Thompson (28) 1,526 Ray Allen 1,486 J.R. Smith 1,475 Rashard Lewis 1,419 Kevin Durant (29) 1,401 Jason Richardson 1,337 Ryan Anderson (29) 1,304 Antoine Walker 1,241

Career 3-point percentage leaders