Can Stephen Curry Dunk?

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When people talk about great NBA dunkers, the names of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Michael Jordan crop up. These are guys who slam the ball with authority. When the conversation shifts to the greatest shooter, only one name is mentioned in the discussion – Steph Curry.

But, can Steph Curry dunk?

Yup, Curry can dunk, though he rarely does. To date, Curry has made 26 of 31 dunks in over 960 games. He makes up for it with his court vision, ball handling, and of course, his deep ball 42.24 percentage.

Steph Curry’s cards are rare because of their limited print run. The value might increase further if a few dunks are incorporated into the cards.

Check out this material. Some videos will amaze you.

Can Steph Curry DunkCan Steph Curry Dunk?

Steph Curry had mastered most of the important skills of an NBA superstar. He can make impossible treys, dribble like crazy to get free from his defenders, execute a floater over bigs, and drive and dish a no-look pass to an open teammate. But why does Stephen Curry not dunk?

Curry dunks, you might not have seen it because he rarely does it.

NBA players are finely conditioned players who are at the top of their game. If 5-foot-3 Muggsy Bogues can dunk so can Curry too, but don’t expect the impact of a Russel Westbrook slammer. Watch this video to erase your doubts.

Dunking is not Curry’s expertise, and odds are low that he’ll do it in the 2023-24 NBA season.

How High Can Stephen Curry JumpHow High Can Stephen Curry Jump?

A player with a good jumping ability blocks shots, shoots or dunks over defenders, grabs offensive and defensive rebounds and wins jump balls. The average vertical leap in the NBA is 28 inches (0.71 m). NBA athletes continuously improved racing the bar to 39.4 inches (1.00 m) in the 2022-23 NBA season.

His Airness Michael Jordan co-owns the record for the highest vertical leap in the NBA with Darrel Griffith at 48 inches (1.22 m) of air space. One of the faces of the NBA, Steph Curry, clears 35.5 inches (0.90 m) in his maximum vertical jump and has a 29.5 inches (0.75 m) standing vertical.

Interestingly, Curry’s vertical is not as impressive as the record holders but the elevation gives him that advantage over the opposition to make his shots. In Curry’s case, the elevation does not matter, it’s what he does with the ball when he jumps that matters.

Kyrie Irving’s height is the same as Curry’s and has a vertical of 34.5 inches, but both players’ incredible athletic skills offset their lack of height and leaping ability. They can rebound, block shots, and execute slammers if need be. They are two of the best handlers in the league and can escape any tight defense thrown at them with ease.

How Many Dunks Has Steph Curry HadHow Many Dunks Has Steph Curry Had?

Undoubtedly, the 9x NBA All-Star help revolutionize basketball, Curry’s numerous deep balls increased the tempo of the game and made high-scoring games. Curry’s body-build fits a finesse than a swashbuckling player. His height and spring are factors he’s not comfortable with dunking, but he does, although seldom.

From this table, we can run through Curry’s dunking and 3-point performance since he entered the NBA.

Season
DA DM 3PA 3PM
2022-23 0 0 639 273
2021-22 0 0 750 285
2020-21 0 0 801 337
2019-20 0 0 49 12
2018-19 3 1 810 354
2017-18 1 1 501 212
2016-17 4 3 789 324
2015-16 7 7 886 402
2014-15 4 4 646 286
2013-14 5 4 615 261
2012-13 3 3 600 272
2011-12 0 0 355 121
2010-11 4 3 342 151
2009-10 0 0 380 166
Total 31 26 8163 3456

The NBA record shows that Curry made 26 successful dunks of 31 to date. Other NBA guys could have made monster slammers for poster plays. Curry doesn’t have the flying athleticism, but he makes up for it with his deadly 42.24 percent shooting from downtown.

It might be surprising that an NBA superstar reached the top with rare dunks, but fans rave about the seldom Curry’s throw-downs, even if the level of difficulty is minimal.

Best of Stephen Curry's Dunk MomentsBest of Stephen Curry’s Dunk Moments

The Golden State Warriors was eyeing a two-peat in 2016 but King James and the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from the grave to snatch the NBA trophy in seven games. Although a defeated finalist, Step Curry remained unbowed, the 2015-16 NBA season belonged to him.

It was the baby-faced assassin’s second straight MVP (unanimous pick), the steals leader, and became a member of the elite 50-40-90 club. The record of the Chicago Bulls (72-10) in the 1995-96 season was broken by the 72-9 record of the Warriors. Curry made 402 treys besting his previous record.

Ironically, it was Curry’s best dunking season with seven beating Kobe Bryant’s five. This was unexpected from a player with his size and with not much spring in his jump. Although not as spectacular as LeBron’s slammers, he left the fans’ jaws dropping in amazement.

Check out the 2x NBA MVP thunderous (friendly) dunks in this video.

In the 2022-23 season, we’ve seen Curry make look-away three-pointers and excellent finishes, but never a jam. It’ll be pretty special if he makes a dunk this coming season.

Wrapping Things Up: Can Stephen Curry Dunk?

Fans are familiar with Curry’s shooting accuracy from any range, but seldom see him dunk. According to the NBA records, Curry succeeded in throwing down the ball 26 times in 31 attempts. But the Golden State franchise doesn’t mind. Since Curry joined the Warriors the team won four titles.

What Curry lacks in the dunk department, he atones with his court leadership, ball handling, and incredible three-point accuracy. Curry takes advantage of his reputation, when defenders crowd him, Curry passes the ball to open teammates.

Curry dunked in the 2016 NBA All-Star and landed poorly; coach Gregg Popovich advised him to quit dunking.

It would be fun if we see Steph Curry do a rare dunk this 2023-24 NBA season.

If you’re interested in learning Stephen Curry’s story, check out this basketball biography book.

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Hoops Addict

Hoops Addict was created to help basketball fans of all ages learn more about the sport and find the best basketball gear to improve their ability to hoop. He has been a huge basketball fan for decades, watching thousands of basketball games through the years to learn the ins and outs of the game.

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