An athlete who managed to revolutionize the sport of basketball due to his game style is Stephen Curry. Even though men and women of huge stature have traditionally dominated the basketball floor, Curry comes as a big surprise! It seems, for him, it takes a one-of-a-kind skill set and a firm desire to upend the existing norm. With his baby face and shaved head, he accomplished just that. And by achieving that, not only did he attain glory for himself, he also set new standards for the upcoming players in the NBA.
However, when you are on a long journey, it is natural to have some criticisms on the way. The same was the case with Curry and with his actions, he proved Charles Barkley, among others, incorrect about jump-shooting teams.
Stephen Curry’s skillset was enough to shut down haters
Curry, who was born on March 14th, 1988, in Akron, Ohio, has grown up with basketball in his blood. His father, Wardell ‘Dell’ Curry, was an NBA player, therefore Stephen and his younger brother Seth grew up around the game. They went to games, watched practice sessions, and improved their talents among NBA players. Curry’s route to becoming a basketball great was anything but typical. His slim build and low stature, officially classified at 6ft 3in, did not fit the traditional NBA player model. His drive to improve his three-point shooting, on the other hand, would set him apart.
But no matter how good Curry was, Charles Barkley always had his doubts about him. Instead of giving the star the praise he deserves, he made a point about how Curry would not even survive in the Jordan era as that time the game was way more physical. Barkley argued that Curry couldn’t have handled the intense defense of players like John Salley, Dennis Rodman, and Bill Lambeer. And his whole argument only revolved around Curry not being successful in the era of the Detroit Bad Boys.
The 11x All-Star even expressed his doubts about Curry ever being successful due to his different game style. But instead of receiving an answer in words he witnessed the heights of achievements Stephen Curry reached. Dave McMenamin, from BBC, reminisced about this incident and said, “I do remember Charles Barkley, obviously the great all-time power forward, saying a jump-shooting team can never win a championship. Boy, was he ever wrong?” Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors confirmed that Barkley was wrong. Between 2015 and 2022, their distinct brand of basketball, which was mainly focused on three-pointers, resulted in four NBA titles.
Is Stephen Curry the greatest shooter of all time?
There are legends in basketball, and then there’s Stephen Curry. Curry is widely regarded as the best shooter in NBA history. And he has even transformed the game with his amazing ability to nail three-pointers. Curry has not only rewritten record books with his incredible precision and the boldness to shoot from half-court, but he has also left fans in amazement every time he comes onto the floor.
Curry carved his name into the annals of basketball history on the night of December 14, 2021, at Madison Square Garden. He made his 2,974th successful three-point shot during his epic game against the Knicks, breaking the great Ray Allen’s record. More importantly, Curry accomplished this incredible achievement in only 788 games, 511 fewer than Allen required to achieve the previous record. Ray Allen and Reggie Miller praised Curry for his incredible performance. They even honored him as the best three-point shooter of all time and commemorated a passing of the torch moment.