He is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers. He is a four-time NBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and the only unanimous Regular Season MVP in basketball history. His resume is pristine, his legacy is secure, and his status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer was cemented years ago.
Peter Nicks’ Stephen Curry: Underrated answers that question not by focusing on the splashy highlights of the Warriors’ dynasty, but by zooming in on the quiet, painful decades of doubt that preceded the confetti. The result is a surprisingly emotional sports doc that functions less like a victory lap and more like a university thesis on perception, bias, and stubborn resilience.
This forces a mathematical reality on opposing coaches: allowing Curry to shoot a three is statistically equivalent to allowing prime Shaquille O’Neal a dunk. It is a 1.2 points per possession play. To win, you must take that away.
Through grainy footage and modern interviews, Underrated reconstructs the absurdity of Curry’s recruitment. No major basketball school wanted him. Virginia Tech (his father’s alma mater) offered him a walk-on spot. The film argues that the basketball establishment didn't just miss on Curry—they were willfully blind to him because he didn't fit the mold of what an "alpha" athlete should look like.
This shift was seismic. In the 2013-14 season, Curry attempted 646 three-pointers. The very next year, under Steve Kerr's motion offense, he upped that number to 886, an increase of 240 attempts. Even more stunning was that his accuracy improved , rising from 44.3% to 45.4%. Volume usually kills efficiency; for Curry, volume just meant more domination. He shattered the NBA record by making 402 three-pointers in the 2015-16 season while shooting 45.3%. Today, the shot is no longer just an arsenal weapon; it is the go-to weapon for the majority of the league. Stephen Curry- Underrated
When the Golden State Warriors selected Curry with the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the consensus was that his ceiling was a serviceable role player. The league was dominated by the hyper-athletic archetype: the explosive speed of Derrick Rose, the bruising power of LeBron James, and the relentless drive of Russell Westbrook.
Left with few options, Curry committed to tiny Davidson College in North Carolina, a school whose basketball program was respectable but far from the national stage. There, under the tutelage of coach Bob McKillop, he began his improbable ascent.
Here is why the greatest shooter ever is still, infuriatingly, the NBA’s highest form of currency: undervalued.
When Kevin Durant—one of the top scorers in NBA history—joined the Warriors in 2016, Curry did something almost unprecedented for a reigning, unanimous MVP: he willingly took a backseat to accommodate another superstar. He sacrificed his personal statistics, his touches, and his MVP candidacy to ensure team chemistry and championship success. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers
Players like LeBron James dominated their eras. Players like Stephen Curry created their eras. He forced opposing coaches to change how they construct rosters and how they design defensive schemes. When a single player forces the entire global infrastructure of a sport to adjust to him, he isn't just a great player. He is a historical anomaly. The Verdict
In a league previously dominated by athletic wing players and dominant centers, Curry’s success was built on skill, intelligence, and unprecedented shooting efficiency.
If Michael Jordan revolutionized the art of the mid-range and aerial acrobatics, Stephen Curry broke the code of the NBA's geometry. When he entered the league in the 2009-10 season, the Orlando Magic led the NBA in three-point attempts with just 27.3 per game. Fast forward to today, 27.3 attempts would rank dead last by over four attempts per game.
This lack of ego allowed the Warriors to play a beautiful, selfless brand of basketball. Yet, critics used Durant’s presence to diminish Curry’s achievements, arguing that Curry needed Durant to win his subsequent titles—a narrative completely debunked when Curry led a less-talented Warriors roster to the 2022 NBA Championship, capturing the Finals MVP that critics claimed he couldn't win without help. It is a 1
The primary reason Curry remains underrated is that traditional basketball metrics and casual fan observation fail to capture his greatest superpower: .
Because "gravity" doesn't show up on a traditional stat sheet as a point, assist, or rebound, Curry’s total impact on winning is consistently undervalued compared to players who dominate the ball. Redefining Basketball Analytics
He didn’t just change the game of basketball; he changed the way we define basketball greatness. He proved that you don't need to be the strongest or highest-jumping player to dominate. You just need to be the most skilled, the most relentless, and perhaps, the most underrated. If you'd like, I can: List his top 5 most underrated games Compare his stats with other legends Explain his training techniques Let me know what you'd like to explore next! Share public link
That ethos has followed him throughout his professional career. Nearly two decades later, Curry is the rare superstar who has played for only one NBA franchise. His partnership with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green has produced four championships and counting, built on a foundation of trust that mirrors the decision he made at Davidson all those years ago.
What makes Curry truly unique is how he changed the geometry of the game. Before Steph, the three-pointer was a weapon of necessity or a specialized tool. Curry turned it into a primary offense. He forced defenses to guard him from 35 feet out, creating "gravity" that opened up the floor for everyone else. He didn't just play the game; he broke the traditional logic of how basketball is won.
The statistics alone should settle the debate. Curry is the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made, with over 4,000 and counting. He has the highest career free-throw percentage in NBA history (91.0%) and has led the league in three-pointers made a record eight times. He has been selected to 11 All-Star Games, won two MVP awards, claimed an NBA Finals MVP, and captured four NBA championships.