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"The worst made shot in basketball" - Dell Curry dismissed the NBA’s 3-point line experiments
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- "The worst made shot in basketball" - Dell Curry dismissed the NBA’s 3-point line experiments
When the NBA first introduced the 3-point line for the 1979-80 season, many coaches and players dismissed it as a gimmick, leading teams to average fewer than 3 attempts per game. However, during Dell Curry's time, the league moved the 3-point line from 23 feet 9 inches to a uniform 22 feet around the basket, hoping to balance the physical style of play that had caused league-wide scoring to plummet.
The impact of this sudden shift was quick and evident. 3-point attempts skyrocketed by nearly 60% in a single season. In 1997, the NBA decided to move the line back to its original position.
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Dell Curry didn't care about NBA moving the 3-point line
For an elite and natural marksman like Curry, the league's 3-point line experiments were largely just background noise. Dell, who spent the bulk of his NBA career as a 3-point shooter for the Charlotte Hornets , boasted about possessing an effortless and lethal shooting range that extended well past the official line.
" That line makes no difference where it was," Dell told ESPN in 2015. "When they moved it in, the line made no difference because I still had range. The only thing I knew was, there's no way that I'm shooting with a toe on the line. A long two-pointer with a toe on the line is the worst made shot in basketball. So I knew that moving the line in would take that out of the question. I had that range, so it didn't affect me at all."
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Like father, like son
Despite his reputation as a sharpshooter, Dell was often recognized by many modern NBA fans as the father of Steph Curry . It was mainly because Steph evidently became a bigger household name in the league. Still, eventually, Dell's hands-on approach to molding his eldest son's shooting form also became legendary in NBA lore.
Feb 15, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; American actor Nick Cannon interviews NBA former player Dell Curry and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) before the 2014 NBA All Star Shooting Stars competition at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dell's rigorous mentorship laid the groundwork for an unprecedented evolution in how Steph mastered his craft. Steph paired his father's foundational principles with modern sports science and relentless repetition to ultimately become the greatest shooter in NBA history.
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However, the ultimate manifestation of their shared mastery is their ability to shoot efficiently from way beyond the arc. While Dell occasionally showcased deep range during his playing days, his son completely revolutionized the sport by making it rain from almost halfcourt.
Dell was automatic from beyond the arc
Steph is still considered the most consistent and effective 3-point shooter in the NBA. Though Dell didn't reach that realm back then, he was one of the premier marksmen of his generation.
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Over a career spanning 16 seasons, Dell held his own on an incredibly quick release and deep accuracy, converting 40.2% of his 3-point attempts across 1,083 regular-season games. His peak efficiency came during the 1998-99 season with the Milwaukee Bucks , where he shot a blistering 47.6% from 3-point land.
Dell's enduring legacy is that of a blueprint for the modern, high-volume perimeter and 3-point shooter. He retired with 1,245 career 3-point field goals made and closed his tenure with the Hornets as the franchise's all-time leader in both points with 9,839 and made 3-pointers with 929. However, Kemba Walker passed Dell as the Hornets' all-time leading scorer in 2018.
The next time Steph hits a trey from way downtown, fans should remember that it's a skill directly passed down to him by his legendary father.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
