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Former NBA player Rashad McCants upset many NBA fans by claiming that Stephen Curry would not have survived in the NBA during his time. McCants played in the NBA from 2005 to 2009, but he is known more today for his talking appearances on Gilbert Arenas’ video podcast channel. Curry has dealt with this criticism in the past from stars of previous eras thinking his shooting could not have worked in their time.
McCants said the following about Curry and how he’d fare entering the league a few years earlier than he did:
“I’ll be honest, Steph Curry would not, one, be able to play in the era, because I didn’t play against him; he came after. And as he came in, shooting the threes and doing all that, these are things that guys were able to do.
Myself, for example, I played at North Carolina, I always shot from deep, but to take shots like Jimmer Fredette was taking shots the same type of way… that’s a bad shot. Make or miss. It’s a bad shot.”
McCants named college star Jimmer Fredette as someone who entered the league with three-point shooting skills and never panned out. The comparison comes off disrespectful when looking at all Curry has accomplished in the NBA.
Why Did McCants Make This Point?
The quote from McCants referenced the concept of Curry taking “bad shots” regardless of if they go in or not. McCants is trying to say that coaches wouldn’t have allowed Curry to do this in the past and would stifle his deep shooting from three-point range.
Fredette wasn’t allowed to take these shots when he entered the NBA, but he was also overmatched on multiple levels. The Golden State Warriors point guard entered the NBA the same season that McCants left the league and it took a few years to become a star.
However, even the worst version of Curry shooting under 5 three-point shot attempts per game each of his first three seasons found a way to contribute. Curry was an NBA player from day one, and he became a superstar when given the chance to shoot at will and play his style.
Rashad McCants Flopped In The NBA
The criticism and questioning of Curry would hold more weight if it came from a former All-Star, but McCants made himself look back by going out of his way to say this. Fans can easily look back at McCants’ NBA career after he thrived for the University of North Carolina in college.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected McCants with the fourteenth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Expectations for McCants to replicate his college success quickly failed to see him struggling to earn more minutes or show improvement.
Minnesota gave up after three seasons, and the Sacramento Kings were the only other NBA team to give him a roster spot. McCants found himself trying to get a job via training camp rosters before playing overseas. Curry fans will likely laugh off this comment and mock McCants’ career for talking bluntly about a top 15 all-time great.