Charlotte Hornets: 20 greatest player seasons in franchise history
By John Buhler
17. Dell Curry, 1993-94
- NBA Sixth Man of the Year
- 16.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG
- 40.2 3P%, 45.5 FG%, 87.3 FT%
- 3.6 Offensive Win Shares, 3.7 Offensive Box/Plus Minus
- 5.0 Win Shares, 2.1 Value Over Replacement Player
Dell Curry is best known today as being the father of Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry. But let’s not overlook the good work Curry did coming off the bench for the Hornets in 10 seasons.
Curry might have only started in 77 of the 701 games he played for the Hornets from 1988 to 1998, but he is a legend in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. An original Hornet taken in the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft, Curry was ahead of his time as a sharpshooter. He was considered to be the Hornet’s 3-point specialist, but was so much more than that.
Present for the franchise’s first four trips to the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Curry’s finest NBA season came in 1993-94 when he won NBA Sixth Man of the Year. That year saw Curry average 16.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 26.5 minutes per contest.
Curry played in all 82 games that season, but never once made a start for Charlotte. Though the Hornets finished at .500 with a 41-41 record and missed the NBA playoffs, this was a landmark year for Curry as a pro.
He shot very well from all over the field. His 40.2 percent stroke from downtown is blistering in even today’s pace-and-space NBA. Curry’s 45.5 field goal percentage is solid for a jump-shooter of his caliber. Curry even made 87.3 percent of his free throw attempts at the charity stripe that season.
Today, Curry calls Hornets games, as well as being an ambassador for Charlotte hoops. Though his relevancy today hinges highly on his son’s success in the Bay Area, Curry remains the only Sixth Man of the Year winner in Charlotte franchise history.