Stephen Curry on Tuesday scaled heights never reached by NBA greats such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James when he became the first unanimous winner of the league's Most Valuable Player award.

A day after returning from injury to playoff action with an explosive performance for the Golden State Warriors, Curry swept all 131 first-place votes to earn the game's highest individual honor for a second straight season.

He joined Johnson, Jordan and Steve Nash as the only guards to win the honor in consecutive campaigns, having dazzled NBA fans during the regular season with one astonishing display of shot-making after another.

Already established as one of the league's greatest ever three-point shooters, Curry led the NBA in scoring with an average of 30.1 points and a record 402 three-point baskets as he led the Warriors to an unprecedented 73-9 mark.

The 28-year-old shot a career-high 50.4 percent from the field and achieved a free throw percentage of 90.8 while averaging 6.7 assists and a career-high 5.4 rebounds in 79 games.