After more than two months on the sidelines nursing a right knee injury, Steph Curry made his triumphant return to the court on Sunday night, and Chase Center absolutely lost it. The moment he hit a three-pointer on his second deep shot attempt, the whole arena erupted. This wasn’t just another game, this was a reminder of how lucky we all are to watch one of basketball’s greatest players do his thing.

Curry came off the bench for the first time in 14 years during the Warriors’ matchup against the Houston Rockets, walking onto the floor with about five minutes left in the first quarter. The greeting he got? A standing ovation that probably lasted longer than most of his three-pointers. On the big screen, Curry himself expressed his gratitude to the fans. It was the kind of moment that made you remember why you love sports in the first place.

The last time Curry came off the bench in a regular season game was way back in March 2012 against Memphis. Coach Steve Kerr kept it real about what the return meant: “He’s one of the most beloved players in league history, Bay Area history in any sport, and I think a long absence like this reminds everybody how lucky we are to see him, to watch him, to coach him, to play with him”.

As a bonus, Stephen got to share the court with his younger brother Seth for the first time in Warriors franchise history, something that had only happened briefly during preseason action over a decade ago. It was a special touch that fans weren’t expecting.

Managing Curry’s workload is going to be key moving forward. Kerr made it clear that the 38-year-old won’t be playing back-to-back games or anywhere close to his usual minutes. Sunday’s game was capped at around 25 minutes as the Warriors continue to be cautious. The Warriors’ VP of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini will be calling the shots on how many games Curry actually plays down the stretch.

The injury sidelined Curry for 27 straight games with patellofemoral pain syndrome, basically, his knee was not having it. He was originally supposed to be back after the All-Star break, but recovery got messy when he’d feel good, push hard, then pay for it the next day. Curry even said dealing with the pain is part of his “new normal” now, and the offseason is going to require some serious reset work.

Without Curry, the Warriors have been rough. They’re sitting at 36-41 on the season and were just 13-25 without their star player. Curry leads the team in scoring at 27.2 points per game, so his absence has been brutal. Now that he’s back, the Warriors, and the entire Bay Area, can finally exhale. The show’s back on.