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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 31: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on December 31, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley loves to give bold takes today as an analyst, and he recently blamed the Golden State Warriors for ruining basketball. Today’s NBA landscape sees constant criticism for how strongly teams rely on the three-point shot. Many game plans will see teams choosing to pass on an open two in favor of the potential of a three-point shot being available.
Barkley named Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the Howard Eskin Show when discussing what caused this issue today:
“My problem is not with the three-point shot. It’s who’s shooting the shots. We’ve got bad players jacking up threes. Like, okay, if you’re a good three-point shooter, have at it. If you’re one of these guys and you can’t shoot threes, why are you shooting threes?
We need more. We need to give more coaches power to say, ‘Hey man, you’re not a three-point shooter. Quit damn shooting threes. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson ruined the NBA because everybody thinks they’re Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Y’all are not them. Stop jacking up threes.”
Barkley made sure to mention that he’s calling out the players less skilled than Curry and Thompson at shooting. However, he feels that the Splash Brothers taking over the league in the 2010s caused lesser players and other teams to copy their blueprint.
Did Curry Cause This Drastic Change?
Coaches deserve more blame than players for the stylistic change of the NBA game over the past few years. The Houston Rockets tried to beat the Warriors at their own game behind the coaching mindset of Mike D’Antoni and the offensive greatness of James Harden.
Despite not winning an NBA Championship, Houston’s regular season success caused other teams to rip that game plan off. Teams are now hoping to either score an easy two-pointer in the paint or pass to a three-point shooter in the corner spots every possession.
Curry and Thompson made three-point shooting more popular at a time when it was considered outside of the box. Golden State doesn’t deserve blame for today’s teams all mirroring the same style since they had a more a creative offense during their rise.
Why Charles Barkley Called Out Curry
Barkley does make a good point that players not as good as Curry and Thompson are trying to replicate what they did during the glory days. Every NBA team is trying to develop shooters by either signing great three-point marksmen or making changes to talents lacking the outside shot.
An old school player like Barkley holds little respect for teams going the finesse style of shooting 40+ three-pointers in a single game. However, Barkley deserves some criticism as well for saying the Warriors had no chance at a title due to their outside shooting in the 2010s.
Golden State proved him wrong multiple times and influenced the rest of the league to try to win via shooting. Barkley and other legends from previous eras miss the physical play of players having to battle for every bucket. Time will tell if the NBA ever goes back to that style or if reliance of the three-pointer is here to stay forever.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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