After playing 17 seasons in the NBA, Stephen Curry has undeniably become one of the league’s all-time greats. A four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, and a 12-time NBA All-Star, his accolades alone are enough to make him great, but it’s his contributions to the sport that make him widely considered one of the GOATs.
Curry reshaped the league by becoming one of the first players to consistently shoot from a much longer distance than usual, a trend that led many NBA players to take more 3-point shots today. Having that in mind, former Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom claims that Curry has ruined basketball.
Lamar Odom Explains How Stephen Curry Changed Basketball
When you hear Curry’s name, you would automatically associate it with the 3-point shot. Throughout his career, Curry has become famous as one of the best shooters in league history, primarily from the outside.
However, the Golden State Warriors star doesn’t simply take it from long distance; he goes even further, making his range seem limitless. Over the years, fans have witnessed Curry’s insane accuracy from half-court.
Having all that in mind, the young basketball players of today have gravitated towards shooting from the outside rather than doing the dirty work inside the paint. We see many centers opting to take threes rather than post up inside.
With all that said, Lakers legend Odom felt the need to address Curry’s influence in basketball. While Odom acknowledges that Curry is one of the league’s all-time greats, he isn’t sure whether his influence has benefited the sport.
“It’s not his fault, but I know if I get a kid right now, 10 years old, 8 years old, 9 years old, from wherever, and I give him a basketball when we go to the park, he’s probably going to shoot the ball from the furthest part of the court,” Odom said. “And that’s due to Steph Curry’s greatness; he was amazing, he is amazing still.”
Lamar Odom says Steph Curry’s greatness has hurt the game:
“It’s not his fault, but I know if I get a kid right now 10 years old, 8 years old, 9 years old from wherever and I give him a basketball when we go to the park, he probably going to shoot the ball from the furthest part… pic.twitter.com/urCuVK8aIF
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 10, 2026
Regardless of whether what Odom believes is true or not, there’s no denying that Curry will be missed once he retires from the league. Now 37, the Warriors star is showing signs of aging.
This season, Curry has only played 39 games and has been sidelined since due to a knee injury. He is also one of the oldest players in the league, next to LeBron James and Kevin Durant, to name a few.
