Although LeBron James is rightfully considered the greatest NBA player of this age, he believes that Stephen Curry’s arrival altered the nature of the game.
James clarified that Curry “singlehandedly changed the ‘no lead is safe'” narrative in the NBA on the Mind the Game Pod.
The top player for the Los Angeles Lakers even likened the way Curry makes NBA teams feel to how Patrick Mahomes does in the NFL.
JJ Redick opened the discussion by pointing out that when he initially entered the league, the biggest amount of playing time he would receive was at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when his team was leading by 19 points, as that was regarded as trash time.
But now, in a 19-point game, teams will start the fourth quarter with their starting lineups.
Defenses had to be on high alert at all times because Curry was willing to draw up from wherever on the court, or else they would be outclassed on a 32-foot shot attempt.
In addition, Curry releases the ball from his hands with such speed that it is challenging to block his shots.
The Golden State Warriors were known for easily erasing large deficits when their success peaked in the 2010s. In the third game of their first-round playoff series in 2015, they overcame a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry scored 14 of the Warriors’ 42 points in the fourth quarter of a December 2013 game against the Toronto Raptors, helping them overcome an 88-70 deficit to win 113-102.
Curry attempted 18.1 three-pointers a game on average when he first joined the NBA in the 2009–10 campaign. Over the course of three seasons, from 2007–08 to 2009–10, that average remained constant.
Attempts per game increased in each of the following years after marginally declining to 18.0 in 2010–11.
Curry, counting the 2023–24 season, has averaged at least 9.8 three-point attempts per game for nine straight seasons. Additionally, across his career, he makes them at an incredible 42.6 percent rate.
In contrast, Redick is thought to be among the NBA’s greatest shooters ever. Throughout his career, he completed 41.5% of his efforts behind the arc.