Stephen Curry will go down as perhaps the best shooter in NBA history. His father, Dell, wasn't too shabby either.
Dell was ahead of his time and one of the best pure shooters of his era. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Dell's shooting kept him in the league for 16 years. After being drafted by the Jazz with the 15th pick of the 1986 NBA Draft, he was traded a year later to the Cavaliers. He was left unprotected in the 1988 expansion draft, leading to the Hornets selecting him with their first pick.
Dell played 10 seasons in Charlotte before finishing his career with the Bucks and Raptors.
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How good was Dell Curry?
Dell was mostly a sixth man, starting only 99 of his career 1,083 games played. His job was to provide instant offense off the bench with his terrific jump shot.
Dell's career 40.2 percent from deep isn't quite on par with Steph's 42.8 percent or Seth's 43.5 percent, but he was one of the best 3-point shooters of the 1990s. He led the league in 1998-89 with a sizzling 47.6 percent from 3.
Dell probably would have started in today's NBA, but back in the 90s, 3-point shooting still wasn't totally embraced. He was in the top 20 in 3-point attempts for most of his career, and yet his career 2.9 attempts per game would have ranked 221st during the 2022-23 season.
Dell was also a leader for the young Hornets. He was the last player remaining on the roster from their expansion draft and saw them go from a bottom-feeder to a perennial playoff team by the time he left. He was such a fan favorite that he later transitioned into a color commentator role for the team after his playing career was over.
One of the highlights of Dell's career was winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in the 1993-94 season. He averaged a career-high 16.4 points per game that year and played in all 82 games.
Dell was a tremendous scorer, finishing his career as the Hornets' all-time leading scorer. His 9,839 points have since been eclipsed by Kemba Walker, but his 701 games played for the franchise is still the most in Hornets history.
Dell Curry NBA career stats
Dell Curry averaged 11.7 points per game over his 1,083 games played.
| Season | Team | Minutes | Points | 3PT% |
| 1986-87 | Jazz | 9.5 | 4.9 | 28.3 |
| 1987-88 | Cavaliers | 19.0 | 10.0 | 34.6 |
| 1988-89 | Hornets | 16.9 | 11.9 | 34.5 |
| 1989-90 | Hornets | 27.8 | 16.0 | 35.4 |
| 1990-91 | Hornets | 19.9 | 10.6 | 37.2 |
| 1991-92 | Hornets | 26.2 | 15.7 | 40.4 |
| 1992-93 | Hornets | 26.2 | 15.3 | 40.1 |
| 1993-94 | Hornets | 26.5 | 16.3 | 40.2 |
| 1994-95 | Hornets | 24.9 | 13.6 | 42.7 |
| 1995-96 | Hornets | 28.9 | 14.5 | 40.4 |
| 1996-97 | Hornets | 30.6 | 14.8 | 42.6 |
| 1997-98 | Hornets | 18.7 | 9.4 | 42.1 |
| 1998-99 | Bucks | 20.6 | 10.1 | 47.6 |
| 1999-00 | Raptors | 16.3 | 7.6 | 39.3 |
| 2000-01 | Raptors | 13.5 | 6.0 | 42.8 |
| 2001-02 | Raptors | 15.8 | 6.4 | 34.4 |
Dell Curry career earnings
Dell Curry made $19.8 million over his 16-year NBA career, per Basketball Reference.
| Season | Team | Salary |
| 1986-87 | Jazz | N/A |
| 1987-88 | Cavaliers | $250,000 |
| 1988-89 | Hornets | $285,000 |
| 1989-90 | Hornets | N/A |
| 1990-91 | Hornets | $900,000 |
| 1991-92 | Hornets | $1,006,000 |
| 1992-93 | Hornets | $750,000 |
| 1993-94 | Hornets | $1,040,000 |
| 1994-95 | Hornets | $1,340,000 |
| 1995-96 | Hornets | $1,570,000 |
| 1996-97 | Hornets | $1,830,000 |
| 1997-98 | Hornets | $3,660,000 |
| 1998-99 | Bucks | $1,000,000 |
| 1999-00 | Raptors | $2,100,000 |
| 2000-01 | Raptors | $2,000,000 |
| 2001-02 | Raptors | $2,100,000 |
