Stephen Curry and the 3-Point Revolution
The shooter who changed the math. Stephen Curry became the all-time three-point leader, won four titles and changed how every team plays, from the NBA to your local park.
Curry with the press: Cyrus Saatsaz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Too small, too skinny
Stephen Curry was not a big recruit. Major programs passed on him, so he went to Davidson, a small school in North Carolina, and led it on a famous run to the regional final of the 2008 tournament. Golden State drafted him seventh in 2009, and early ankle injuries made some people wonder if he would last.
He lasted. Then he changed the sport.
A line nobody respected
The NBA added the three-point line for the 1979-80 season, but for years teams treated it as a gimmick. Curry treated it as a weapon. He shot from 30 feet off the dribble, off screens and in transition, with a release so quick defenders could not adjust.
In 2015-16 he made 402 threes, a single season record, and became the first unanimous MVP in league history. Golden State won 73 games that season.
His secret was not just accuracy but range and volume. Defenses used to give up shots a few feet behind the line. Curry made those shots so often that defenders had to pick him up near half court, which opened the floor for everyone else. His father, Dell Curry, was a sharpshooter too, so shooting ran in the family.
Banners and records
Curry has won four championships with the Warriors, in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, and he was Finals MVP in 2022. On December 14, 2021, at Madison Square Garden, he passed Ray Allen to become the all-time leader in made threes, and he later became the first player to reach 4,000 career threes.
He also helped the United States win Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, hitting a run of late threes in the final against France.
He did it all with one franchise, which is rare in the modern era of player movement.
The Curry effect
Today, teams attempt far more threes than they did before his peak, and kids at every park pull up from well beyond the arc. Analytics said the three was valuable. Curry proved it in a way everyone could see. For Fly Baller, he is proof that skill and confidence beat size.
Small guards everywhere grew up copying his ball handling drills, his warmup routines and even his shimmy after a big shot.
Not bad for a player once judged too slight for the league.
- Basketball-Reference: Stephen Curry Stats
- NBA.com: Warriors star Stephen Curry makes history with 4,000th career 3-pointer
- NBA.com: Stephen Curry, Warriors agree on 2-year contract extension
Facts on this page were checked against these sources.
- Curry with the press: Cyrus Saatsaz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Curry's quick release: Cyrus Saatsaz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Curry in action: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Text written by Fly Baller.
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