When NBA fans tune in to see Stephen Curry, they expect a masterclass in surgical perimeter shooting, high-IQ playmaking and long-range bombs from deep beyond the arc. But every now and then, the greatest shooter in basketball history decides to turn back the clock and remind the basketball world of his functional vertical athletic strength.
Prior to a marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center, Curry gave fans in attendance a rare treat during his signature pregame warmup routine. Standing near the rim, the 37-year-old superstar caught a soft toss from a Golden State Warriors staff member, gathered with a smooth two-step stride and threw down a crisp, effortless one-handed dunk right over the iron.
He followed up the slam with a light smile and a playful bounce in his step before getting right back to work on his perimeter shooting routine.
The Guard Dynamic: Vertical Athleticism at 6-Foot-2
At a listed 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Curry operates in a league where above-the-rim finishing is typically dominated by explosive aerial guards like Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, or Ja Morant. While guards of Curry’s physical stature have to maximize every inch of vertical pop to finish over rim-protectors, Curry’s career trajectory shows a player who used his verticality selectively—saving his legs for his historical shooting endurance.
At the 2009 NBA Draft Combine, Curry registered a 35.5-inch maximum vertical leap. That vertical leap put his maximum reach at 11 feet, easily clearing the 10-foot rim. Over his 16-plus-year career, NBA tracking data reflects that Curry has thrown down 30 official in-game dunks. His peak dunking campaign came during his unanimous MVP season in 2015–16, when he finished a career-high seven dunks.
Unlike guards who rely on vertical power to score inside, Curry’s interior scoring package relies heavily on teardrop floaters, high-arcing layups off the glass and crafty spatial footwork. When he does choose to throw one down, it becomes an instant stadium highlight simply because of its rarity.
On the Record: Curry’s Quotes on Dunking
While dunks have been an infrequent feature of Curry’s game—especially in his later career—they always capture viral attention whenever they occur. Following a rare in-game dunk during a March 2025 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers (his first in-game slam in six years), Curry famously joked with reporters that his dunking days were officially numbered:
“That will probably be my last dunk, though. I’m calling it right now, that was the last one you’ll ever see… I will only lay the ball up. It took everything out of me to get up there.”
Curry added that the rare break-away slam in Philadelphia was actually sparked by playful trash-talk from Warriors assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse during morning shootaround:
“It was a very random comment this morning and the fact that it happened was hilarious,” Curry noted at the time.
In earlier years, Curry reflected on why dunking was never his primary weapon:
“I can get up there if I have a full head of steam, but shooting the ball from 30 feet out just takes a lot less energy out of the legs. I’ll leave the dunk contest stuff to the guys who fly for a living.”
Though he often downplays his rim-testing abilities in official game action to preserve his body and avoid unnecessary collisions, pregame sessions remain Curry’s personal playground.
Seeing him casually flush one down off a lob toss ahead of a high-stakes clash with the Lakers serves as a great reminder of his athleticism and how much pure joy he still finds on the court.
