Stephen Curry has heard the complaints. He’s read the takes, watched the clips, and seen the viral memes of middle schoolers launching reckless 30-footers and yelling “Curry!” as they clank another ill-advised shot off the backboard.
But if you think the Golden State Warriors superstar feels any remorse for it, think again. In a candid interview with Complex, Curry made it clear: he feels zero guilt over the claims that he “ruined basketball.”
“Well, Mark Jackson said back in the day, after he left our team and went back to the booth, he was like, ‘You’re ruining high school basketball.’ Because his kids were playing at the time.”
“And he’s like, ‘When I walk in the gym, like everybody just throwing up 30-footers.’ And I made a public service announcement. I was like, ‘Please stop tagging me, posting me in all these videos of horrible shot taken, shot selection, in games, because there is a process that is going into the way that I play.'”
“And that’s what I preach. Like, I want people to, kids to think wild about how far they can stretch their range, like how creative they can be out on the court, build that confidence.”
“But you got to realize, like, I’ve been doing this a very, very long time. I’ve been blessed to put hours and hours and hours in. Even when I got to the league, like, that wasn’t necessarily a part of my game. I had to develop it over time. So, I feel zero guilt. Zero guilt. It’s going to be cool to kind of see it all come full circle.”
Curry didn’t shy away from the narrative, but he made one thing clear: kids and fans don’t understand the work that went into transforming him into the greatest shooter in NBA history.
Therein lies the core of his message: while he wants to inspire creativity and confidence, Curry believes fans forget the thousands of hours of practice behind every shot he takes.
His message is as sharp as his release: don’t confuse entertainment with ease. The ability to consistently hit 30-footers in high-pressure NBA environments wasn’t handed to him, it was forged through endless repetition, refinement, and evolution. That’s why Curry can let the criticism roll off his back with a smile.
In the same interview, Curry also opened up on several other candid moments. He called LeBron James and Chris Paul “the two smartest players” he’s ever faced, lauding their high basketball IQ and cerebral approach to the game. He also reminisced about how he knew even a baby Bronny James was special when he first met him, and how he got checked by Kobe Bryant with just one cold-blooded look.
Curry also addressed the elephant in the room: retirement speculation. Some have wondered how many years the 36-year-old guard has left, especially with the Warriors aging. But Curry was emphatic in putting those rumors to rest.
For now, Curry remains the standard for every shooter trying to expand their range. And as far as being blamed for “ruining the game”? He’s proud of what he’s built, and he’s not apologizing for it.
