The ascension of Stephen Curry
His ordinary was once unimaginable.
Well, that happened fast. Steph Curry didn't make the crowd wait long as he buried his 2,974th 3-pointer early in the game against the Knicks last night. And while it's odd to call something nearly 13 years in the making fast, just take a look at the chart below to get an idea of the meteoric ascent of Curry's intergalactic shooting.
And it would've happened faster if he had been healthy. Steph only played in 26 games in 2011-12 due to ankle issues and missed all but five games in 2019-2020 with a broken hand. Just to compare — way back in 2011, when Curry played in only 26 games, he made 55 threes. Through the first 26 games of this season he has buried nearly three times that amount — 140 three-pointers.
The three-point shot came into the NBA as a gimmick. It certainly was not the focal point of any teams' offense for a long time. When the three-pointer made its' debut in 1979-80, the most prolific team (The San Diego Clippers) attempted only 6.6 threes a game. This season, Steph Curry makes 5.4 threes per game.
In the beginning, the three was largely reserved for the end of quarters or to try to mount a comeback late in the game. The shot was largely utilized by specialists — spot-up shooters who parked themselves at the 3-point line and fired away when their teammates drew a crowd and got them an open look.
There have been many great shooters, but Reggie Miller is the first shooter I remember weaponizing his range and adding some texture to his work as a shooter. Reggie could spot up, but he could also run for days. The Pacers would run defenders through a pulverizing set of screens as Miller ran them ragged, needing only a sliver a space to unload. And Reggie could do some damage off the bounce as well. And when he got cooking, it was electrifying to watch. But being a three point shooter definitely wasn't the thing. Case in point — does anyone remember who held the three point record when Reggie broke it? You can text me if you're curious.
And Ray Allen was for real. There's a reason Spike Lee tabbed Ray to play Jesus Shuttlesworth. Ray was Reggie with even more sizzle off the bounce. I started watching this highlight package to remind myself of just how great Ray Allen is, and got sucked in for the full 7 minutes. I remember watching young Ray Allen — Bucks and Sonics Ray — operate out of the pick and roll and knock down shots with seemingly no space. The tight handle, the quick release — stunning. Ray didn't have the same braggadocios fire that Reggie had, but man could he play.
Curry is cut from the same cloth. He is the shooter of his generation. He can run forever. And he can create with the ball in his hands. He does everything Ray and Reggie did and more. He's shown more craft with the ball and more juice off the dribble, and he's taken shooting — literally — to new depths. He shoots from farther away, but also with more accuracy, than anyone thought possible. And speaking of more, just look at the overall volume of attempts Curry gets up compared to the previous three-point kings.
Lost in all the glimmer about the three-point record and the Warriors very surprising start is the fact that Curry — by his stupefying standards at least— isn't shooting very well. Overall, he's shooting 43% from the field and just over 40% from deep, both of which would be the lowest percentages for his career. Maybe he was pressing a bit as he gunned for this record for the last few games.
But he is 33 years old, and will turn 34 next spring. He doesn't have quite the same flash and burst that he did five years ago. Ray and Reggie both shifted into secondary roles later in their careers, rounding out their time in the NBA as overqualified snipers who could still unleash the occasional burst of flame when called upon. Steph isn't at that point yet — he can still cook the main course and set the table for everyone else. But it's an important reminder to savor greatness while it lasts. Time waits for no one.
Curry has taken shooting to another level. Now, shooting — particularly three-point shooting — is the thing. And not just shooting, but the near-boundless creativity and audacity behind some of the shots that he even dares to attempt.
Steph is unprecedented. His ordinary was once unimaginable. Just take a look at this madness:
He has redefined the plausibility structures of both what can be done and who can do it. He has widened the landscape of what's possible for those who will follow him. There are pathways toward realities that would not have opened without Stephen Curry.
And someday, the kid who breaks his record will thank Steph for helping him envision those new horizons.