“Scariest”: Iman Shumpert Recounts Getting Blindsided by Steph Curry, Leaving Him With Regret

Stephen Curry is everything people never imagined he could be. With 3,807 career 3-pointers, the 4x NBA Champion is far ahead, setting a record of his own. But about 15 years ago, people would have doubted that the present icon Curry was capable of such skills for a particular reason. Former NBA player Iman Shumpert is one of the few who were misled for the same reason. But it didn’t take him long to realize the phenomenon he was up against.

Battling against the Golden State Warriors was the first time Shumpert was up against Curry, guarding him. And this was when he realized that the 2× NBA scoring champion was much more skilled than the scouting reports touted him to be. “When they was talking about getting rid of this man, talking about his ankles was bad. The scouting report on this man was so weak and I was like huh, I’m like we talking about the same guy. The scouting report was not as detailed as like it is,” Shumpert told Carmelo Anthony on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast.

Shumpert recalled how then-Warriors head coach Mark Jackson allowed him to freely shoot, which might have boosted Curry’s confidence as well. He added, “They’re allowing him to shoot the ball right. He hit Jerry West. How do you hit Jerry and they didn’t take him out that is the scariest n**** ever to deal with. He going to be able to do this however long he want to.”

In his rookie year, he played 80 games, averaging 17.5 points per game. Shumpert must have been speaking of the time when the New York Knicks faced the Warriors in 2013. Curry started in all the 78 games he appeared in and averaged a career-high 24.0 points. So why was Shumpert so surprised?

This was because of the scouting reports by basketball experts, which had underrated Curry’s potential. Shumpert might blame Curry for his 3-pointers, which he believes have ruined the current NBA. But he also had a word of praise for the Warriors star. And the scouting report underrated Curry during his initial years in the league likely due to his ankle injuries.

Stephen Curry’s 3807 career 3-pointers made history 

The 10X NBA All-Star faced severe ankle injuries in the early years of his career. After sustaining minor ankle injuries during the 2010-2011 season, Curry underwent his first ankle surgery, followed by a second injury later. But as mentioned before, Curry was much more than that. He proved it by leading the Warriors to a championship victory in 2015.

Even today, he continues to do better. After his latest matchup, Curry became the first player in league history to hit 3,000 or more 3-pointers. Shooting 3-for-7 from deep, the Warriors star finished with 28 points and seven assists against the Brooklyn Nets. However, this wasn’t enough to secure a victory for the Warriors.

Despite being one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Warriors couldn’t come out on top in this matchup. While the Warriors are known for dominating from the 3-point line, the Nets were even better this time, leading to a 128-120 win. The Warriors will need a stronger performance, especially defensively, to reclaim their top spot.