Though the NBA is thriving in terms of ratings and global interest, a chorus of critics believe the soul of basketball has been compromised by its obsession with the long ball. At the center of this movement is Stephen Curry– the man responsible for both revolutionizing the modern game.
Boston Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell recently reignited that conversation during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, criticizing how heavily teams lean on the three-pointer, even when it’s clearly not working.
Maxwell didn’t hold back in assigning blame
Referring to the Celtics‘ current postseason shooting woes, Maxwell pointed out their dismal 25 percent three-point shooting through two games against the Knicks-converting just 25 of 100 attempts. Despite boasting a roster filled with proven long-range shooters, the Celtics have struggled to use the arc as the weapon it was during their 2024 title run.
“I talked to his dad and I asked his dad, I said, ‘Your son’s destroyed the game the way I loved it.’ He said, ‘Yeah, there are a lot of 3-point takers, but there are not a lot of 3-point makers,'” Maxwell said, referencing a conversation with Dell Curry, Steph‘s father and a former NBA sharpshooter himself.
While many have pointed the finger at Curry for turning basketball into a game of perimeter bombs, the Golden State Warriors superstar has already made his position clear.
In a previous appearance on the Knuckleheads Podcast, Curry directly addressed the criticism of his style being widely copied without the same level of skill or preparation.
“I’m gonna use this moment to get on my soapbox. Stop tagging me in all these horrible basketball clips with people taking bad shots, talking about, ‘I ruined the game.’ I did not tell y’all to shoot. I did not say to shoot that shot,” Curry said.
Dell Curry‘s comment-“there are a lot of 3-point takers, but there are not a lot of 3-point makers”-captures the heart of the matter. The NBA’s statistical boom has encouraged even the most average shooters to let it fly, often to the detriment of game flow and shot quality.
Maxwell‘s nostalgia for a more physical, inside-out game is understandable. But perhaps the real issue isn’t Curry‘s brilliance, but rather how coaches, players, and systems have misunderstood the craft and tried to shortcut greatness.
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