Subscribe
Follow Us
Dell Curry may be known now as Stephen Curry's dad, but he was once known for his lengthy Charlotte Hornets career.
The 61-year-old spent 10 years as a member of the Hornets — he was an inaugural member of the franchise in 1988 — establishing himself as one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA at the time. In fact, he was named the Sixth Man of the Year during the 1993-94 season and left the Hornets as the franchise leader in points, games played, 3-point field goals made and 3-point field goal percentage.
The Hornets were a solid playoff contender for much of Curry's tenure in Charlotte, advancing to the playoffs on four different occasions during his tenure there. However, they've fallen on hard times since, failing to advance to the playoffs since 2016. Making matters worse, they haven't won a playoff series since 2002 when Baron Davis was the star of the franchise. For perspective, Davis hasn't played in the NBA since 2013.
Curry says the Hornets have the young pieces in LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller and that they need to continue to build through the draft. Charlotte holds the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“You've got LaMelo Ball, but I would not exclude Brandon Miller from that conversation as well,” Curry said in a one-on-one interview. “He is a talented guy, a two-way player. He can shoot the ball, can create his own shot, he's going to be a much improved defender with his size, athletic ability and his footwork. He's a guy that you can build around as well. They have a ton of talent, talented young guys on the Hornets. They just got to continue to add value and young pieces that they can build around in the fourth pick in the draft.”
The Hornets went 19-63 last season, one of the worst marks in franchise history and the third-worst mark in the league. While Charlotte clearly features young stars, the problem is, they're always injured. The 23-year-old Ball has been consistently injured since being named to the All-Star Game in 2022, having appeared in less than 48 games in each season since. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Miller was limited to just 27 games in his second season after undergoing surgery in his right wrist.
Curry expects the Hornets to target a wing player with the fourth pick in the draft, assuming they stay at that position.
“You're going to get a really good player, probably a wing guy,” Curry said. “That seems to be where the draft is loaded at the wing position, but there could be some movement between now and the draft. Who knows? I mean Philly, San Antonio, those guys could move around a little bit.
Article Continues Below
“I don't know specifically what the Hornets are thinking, but they're going to get a good player if they stay at four. You just have to continue to create value and talent around the roster, because it's tough when you're in a rebuild mode. You gotta just get the best players available and then figure it out from there.”
Cooper Flagg is obviously expected to go No. 1 in the draft, but after him is a guessing game with the other top prospects being wing players such as Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Kon Kneuppel and VJ Edgecombe.
Curry expects the Hornets to go with another wing player to pair alongside their current wing stars in Ball and Miller.
“Seems like the top four, five or six are wing players in today's NBA,” Curry said. “Those wing players are super important in building. They got to be able to run the floor, shoot the basketball, and defend multiple positions. Everybody's looking for that athletic big, I don't know if that's in the draft. You're going to take the best player. It seems like the best players in this draft are wing guys.”
The Hornets currently have the longest streak in the NBA without winning a playoff series, going 23 seasons since their last postseason series win. Despite that recent lack of success, Curry — who works as a Hornets broadcaster — has full confidence that the franchise can turn things around.
“I trust them wholeheartedly of making the right decisions, doing the right things, to give Charlotte the team that we deserve as fans,” Curry said. “The city loves the game of basketball, it's a basketball state and the new ownership, the new front office, is determined to give the fans what they deserve, and that's a talented team that can win on a nightly basis, and they're doing that.”
