Playing in the NBA is a dream job for a lot of people. Unlike the rest of us, JamesOn Curry was actually able to achieve that dream – even if it lasted for only 3.9 seconds.
That’s still quite the achievement, considering a lot of good basketball players have made it to the league over the years but were unable to log-in a single second of playing time.
Nowadays, Curry is a household name, with brothers Steph and Seth tearing up the league with their incredible marksmanship. Even their OG dad Dell has also gained even more popularity in recent years.
@clutchstories The Shortest Career In NBA History📉 @leslieeemichelle #nba #curry #wholenewgame #clutchpoints #clutchstories #fyp #foryou #viral
Today, we’ll put the spotlight on the lesser-known JamesOn Curry, the player with the shortest recorded career in NBA history.
Path to the NBA
Just to be perfectly clear, JamesOn Curry wasn’t just some scrub who got lucky and somehow landed a roster spot in the big leagues. He actually indeed has game, which he showed as early as high school. In his senior year for Eastern Alamance in his hometown of Mebane, North Carolina, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged whopping numbers of 40.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists.
He was deemed as the best prospect from North Carolina at the time and received huge interest from the University of North Carolina. Yes, this is the same institution that produced Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and James Worthy.
Unfortunately, Curry’s career as a Tar Heel crashed and burned before it even began, as UNC rescinded his scholarship after he pleaded guilty for drug charges. The then 18-year-old student-athlete was charged for selling marijuana to an undercover police officer.
Curry, along with 49 others, was found guilty of six felonies stemming from possessing and distributing marijuana. He avoided possible jail time, but big-time programs no longer had him on their radar. Curry still received an offer to play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he suited up from 2004-07. His scoring capabilities translated in college, as he amassed a total of 1,363 career points in his three years playing in the Big 12 conference.
Start of Curry's pro career
JamesOn Curry tried his luck and applied for the NBA class of 2007, which was headlined by Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. After seeing 50 names be called on the board, he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls 51st overall in the second round.
But another brush with the law once again cost him another stint with a decorated institution, as the Bulls waived him just months later.
The troubled guard pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and urinating in public in Idaho. Chicago initially suspended him for one game before cutting ties with him. Despite not playing a single second in the Windy City, the Bulls brass was still obligated to pay him $100,000 of his partially guaranteed salary for the 2008–09 campaign.
Curry packed his bags and made some money playing overseas for the next two years. The natural scorer also split time for the Iowa Energy and the Springfield Armor in the D-League (now G-League), which gave him some much-needed exposure to NBA scouts.
Soon enough, the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers came calling after they needed warm bodies to replace injured players Sebastian Telfair and Kareem Rush.
Curry’s first and final NBA game
At the time of Curry’s signing, the Clippers had a core built around Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby, and a young Eric Gordon.
Three days after signing that 10-day contract, Curry finally had his NBA moment. With 3.9 seconds in the third quarter of the Clippers’ road game against the powerhouse Boston Celtics, coach Mike Dunleavy called his number from the bench.
Curry had the task of trying to stop superstar Rajon Rondo from scoring before the quarter closed. Those 3.9 seconds were gone in a blink of an eye, and he found himself back on the bench soon after. Dunleavy did not bring him back in the final 12 minutes of regulation.
Despite finally getting some floor time, Curry’s name was accompanied by zeroes in the box score. He was unable to get a shot, let alone touch the ball.
“It was the quickest four seconds ever,” Curry said after the game.
“I wish it would've lasted longer. Being out there, I just felt like a regular person, felt like a regular basketball player. I felt like I was home, like this is where I belong.”
The aftermath
After getting his feet wet on the big stage, Curry thought that he might get more minutes in the Clips’ upcoming games. But that euphoria faded soon after, as he was released by the team just 12 hours later.
The Clippers needed to make room in their 15-man roster for Bobby Brown, whom they just acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans. He went back to the Springfield Armor in the D-League after and was up for grabs for the 29 other NBA teams. However, no one picked up the phone, closing the door on his NBA dream.
The Armor’s coach at the time, Rob Mackinnon, still believes that Curry had the talent to be a regular in the big leagues had another team given him a chance.
“We had three call-ups that season, and I thought JamesOn would be the next guy. It still bothers me to this day that he didn’t.”
Curry, now 36 years old, last played professionally for the Bakersfield Jam in 2014. While he admits that the unflattering record gave him sleepless nights in the past, he is at peace with himself right now. In fact, he even has a positive outlook about becoming the man with the shortest career in NBA history.
“You know, if you think about it, I'm probably the highest-paid player per second in NBA history,” he said.
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