If you were to put together a video of Stephen Curry’s most memorable 3-pointers throughout his career, it would probably be several hours long. Over his illustrious 15-year career, Curry’s hit his fair share of clutch shots, game winners and daggers. In fact, in a recent CBS Sports ranking of the most iconic shots of the 21st century, Curry’s name appears more frequently than anyone on the list, exemplifying how impactful he’s been in the NBA.
From the 3-pointer that gave Curry the NBA record for most 3s in a career, to a circus-like finish after taking on three Clippers defenders, there’s no shortage of “OMG” moments on his highlight reel. But if you were to ask Curry what his most memorable shots are, there’s a more recent 3-pointer he’s taken that almost trumps them all.
“It’s so memorable because of the build up to that moment,” Curry said. “My first Olympic experience, four 3s in a row to close out the gold medal game, and then that last one which was kind of a ridiculous shot even by my standards. So all that to say, it’s like top 2 for sure.”
Curry played hero in Team USA’s gold medal match against France, where over the last two minutes he proceeded to drain four 3-pointers, each one more ridiculous than the last. But it was the final one, the “golden dagger” as its now been commonly referred to, that sealed the win for the United States. In typical Curry fashion, he kept the defense dancing as he shifted and moved around to try and create just a sliver of space to get off a shot. He drew two defenders, and pulled up for an off-balance, falling-away, sky high 3-pointer that sank through the bottom of the net. It immediately sent everyone into the stands and everyone on Team USA’s sideline into a frenzy as Curry hit his iconic “night night” celebration.
It was the perfect coronation for Curry in his first Olympic experience, and not only did he walk away with a gold medal, but he also left Paris with undoubtedly one of the most iconic shots of his career. But as mesmerizing as that shot was, Curry still holds his 38-foot game-winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder in February of 2016 as the gold standard.
“I think the OKC game [is No. 1],” Curry said. “Even though it wasn’t a championship game, it’s still one of the — the Mike Breen double bang, just a loud shot and [it was] our rise as a team.”
That game winner against the Thunder tied the record for three-pointers made in a single game, and happened in the midst of a season where the Warriors would go on to set the record for most regular season wins in NBA history (73).
