During the Warriors' Christmas Day showdown against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015, ex-Golden State coach Mark Jackson made a noteworthy comment (he broadcasted the game) that reverberated across the the basketball world.
This was Jackson's take:
“I’ve thought about this though. Steph Curry’s great. Steph Curry’s the MVP. He’s a champion. Understand what I’m saying when I say this. To a degree, he’s hurt the game. And what I mean by that is I go into high school gyms -- I watch these kids -- and the first thing they do is run to the 3-point line.
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"You are not Steph Curry. Work on the other aspects of the game. People think that he’s just a knock-down shooter. That’s not why he’s the MVP. He’s a complete basketball player.”
At the time, some people thought Jackson was taking a shot at Curry. He truly was not. But we aren't here to discuss that.
The reality is that Steph did play a large role in revolutionizing the game of basketball. The 3-point shot has never been more popular and/or more utilized by players and teams of all ages.
As Dan Patrick recently said: "Steph Curry changed basketball. Everybody thinks they can find a Steph Curry. Everybody playing the game -- high school, grade school, even in college -- they think they can be Steph Curry. You feel like you could be Steph Curry. He changed the image of the NBA, and I think he's underrated because of that."
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In 2012-13, Curry made an NBA-single-season record 272 3-pointers, only to break his own record two seasons later by making 286. Then in 2015-16 -- when he became the only unanimous MVP in NBA history -- he made an other-wordly 402 3s.
So in honor of the three-time NBA champion, let's take a look at 12 shots throughout his career -- in chronological order -- that helped "ruin the game" of basketball:
1) Poor Knicks fans. In the 2009 NBA Draft, Curry didn't want the Warriors to take him at No. 7 overall because he wanted to go to New York with the No. 8 pick.
2) Game 4 of the Warriors' first-round playoff series vs. the Denver Nuggets in 2013.
This 3-pointer gave Curry nine points in a span of 42 seconds. He scored 22 points over the final 6:22 of the third quarter.
3) On March 8, 2015 against the LA Clippers, Curry just scored 12 points. He only attempted two 3-pointers (and made them both). This one can never be forgotten:
"That could be the greatest move I've ever seen live. No, I'm being serious." -- Jeff Van Gundy during the broadcast.
Steve Kerr's reaction says it all.
4) Game 3 of the Warriors' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans in 2015 = pure pandemonium.
5) May 15, 2015. Late in the third quarter of Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, the Memphis Grizzlies had the chance to cut the Warriors' lead to two. Instead, Curry gave the Dubs an eight-point lead going into the final frame:
6) This sealed the victory and put the Warriors one win away from capturing their first NBA title in 40 years.
7) On Jan. 25, 2016, the 40-4 Warriors hosted the 38-6 San Antonio Spurs. The hype for a regular season game was off the charts. Kawhi Leonard was named Defensive Player of the Year that season:
8) Feb. 27, 2016. This is one of the most memorable shots in regular-season NBA history:
9) Curry sprained his right MCL in Game 4 of the Warriors' first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in 2016. He missed the next four games before returning for Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Portland Trail Blazers. He came off the bench and was 0-for-9 from deep through three quarters. Then, he came alive. The three-time NBA champion scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, followed by 17 points in overtime -- the most in a single OT in NBA history.
10) When you do something like this in the NBA Finals against LeBron James, it has to make the list.
11) Poor Kevin Love.
12) On Oct. 24, 2018, Steph racked up 51 points against the visiting Washington Wizards.
After the Warriors' win, the three-time NBA champion summed his performance up perfectly:
Thanks for the memories, Steph.