Duke basketball product exits NBA bubble with record intact

A Duke basketball alum refuses to relinquish his claim to fame as a sniper.

Unrecruited by bluebloods. Undrafted in 2013 despite three lights-out years as a Duke basketball player (after transferring from Liberty). Waived in the 2013-14 preseason by the Golden State Warriors, where older brother Steph Curry was, and still is, the face of the franchise. Two seasons in what was then the NBA D-League.

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Fast forward to Sunday. In a season-ending first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry finished his first year of a four-year, $32 million contract with the active NBA record for career 3-point percentage still intact.

Plus, Curry’s 44.3 percent is safe until next season unless Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson, who sits No. 2 at 43.7 percent, catches fire for the remainder of his playoff run. Steph Curry ranks No. 3 at 43.5 percent, and No. 4 is the 42.9 percent of Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Korver.

Though Seth Curry isn’t atop the all-time list, he only trails the 45.4 percent from eight-time NBA champion (five as a player, three as Warriors head coach) Steve Kerr.

The former Duke basketball sharpshooter has justified his salary

In the 30-year-old’s fourth full NBA season, Curry averaged 12.4 points and a career-high 2.3 threes per game at a career-high 45.2 percent clip. In doing so, he proved to be a key piece for a franchise that looks on track for a title on the back of 21-year-old star Luka Doncic.

While the Larry O’Brien Trophy isn’t coming back to Dallas this year, it’s not because of anything Curry did wrong across the resumed season inside the Orlando bubble.

Granted, Curry scored only 11 points between the last two outings of the 4-2 series loss. But that came after the former All-ACC Blue Devil averaged 16.5 points across the first four games against the Clippers, partly due to his wide array of floaters and mid-range stop-and-pops. That followed his double-digit scoring average in the resumed regular season.

Altogether, Curry went 19-for-42 from beyond the arc in the bubble, matching his 45.2 percent for the entire season. Now, he’ll need to do a touch better than that if he’s to ever catch Kerr.

Nevertheless, no one will again be waiving or overlooking Seth Curry anytime soon.

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