The historic longevity of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant - ESPN

When Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant teamed up a decade ago, their union created perhaps the most lethal scoring duo in NBA history and threatened to serve as the foundation of a dynasty that might have rivaled Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

Curry and Durant were both former MVPs and scoring champions in their primes at 28 years old when they began their first title chase together in 2016-17. As the Golden State Warriors raced out to a 20-3 start that fall, they were so thoroughly dominant that critics quickly deemed the pairing «unfair.»

There have been two key developments since those halcyon early days: The Curry and Durant partnership disbanded quicker than anyone could have expected, while Curry and Durant (both now 38) have managed to sustain elite play much longer than anyone anticipated.

The first point is well-worn. After two championships and a torn Achilles, the nomadic Durant left the Bay Area to start fresh with the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, Curry has become one of the NBA's all-time single-franchise icons.

The second point has been obscured by LeBron James' record-setting longevity. As James has rewritten the record books and kept playing into his 40s, Curry and Durant have prospered late in their respective careers like few superstars before them.

With Curry's Warriors and Durant's Houston Rockets set to face off Wednesday for the first time this season (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) let's take a moment to appreciate their remarkable staying power a full decade after they started torching the league as teammates.

Curry enters Wednesday averaging 30.6 points per game and shooting 45.6% on 3-pointers, making him a prime example of the adage that «shooting helps you age well.» The two-time MVP is making more 3s per