Despite Competing in Different Eras, Why Was Stephen Curry’s Father Dell the Biggest NBA Rival of Newly Retired Lou Williams?

Cult hero and fan favorite Lou Williams recently joined the long list of NBA stars who have announced their retirement over the past few months. He played his final basketball season with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2021-22 NBA season and called it quits after 17 long years in the league. Sharing an emotional video on YouTube, Williams’ daughter made the heartwarming announcement. Interestingly, Williams was often compared and contested with Dell Curry, the father of four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry.

While Williams and Curry did not play in the same era, one special attribute connected both of them. It was coming off the bench and securing buckets for their teams!

Why was Lou Williams often compared to Stephen Curry’s father?

Players like Lou Williams and Dell Curry play an important role in their teams. However, their contributions often go unnoticed. One of the most prestigious awards in the NBA is the Sixth Man of the Year award, which gives players like Curry and Williams the recognition they deserve.

While Curry won the award during the 1993-94 season, Lou Williams has two more awards than him. The 36-year-old won three Sixth Man of the Year awards in 2015, 2018, and 2019, respectively.

Incidentally, Williams is tied with Jamal Crawford for the most Sixth Man of the Year awards in NBA history. The former Philadelphia 76ers star was drafted as the 45th pick during the 2005 NBA draft. Dell Curry was long retired when Williams entered the league.

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Interestingly, only Chris Paul happens to be the only player from the 2005 NBA draft who has more points than Lou Williams. Similar to four-time NBA champion LeBron James, Williams also joined the league straight out of high school. While he might have not left an impact like James, Williams has had his fair share of contributions in shaping league history.

Williams and Dell Curry career comparison

Dell Curry had a long 16-year career in the NBA. Although he wasn’t a superstar like his son, Curry was a force to reckon with coming off the bench. He averages 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 984 games off the bench.

On the other hand, Lou Williams averaged 13.4 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 1001 games from the bench. Interestingly, he passed Curry in 2019 to become the player with the most points off the bench.

“With being a sixth man and being a career bench player, to have an opportunity to be something that says ever at the end of it is special to me”, said Williams after this historic feat.

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Do you think Lou Williams was better than Dell Curry? Let us know in the comments below.