Stephen Curry's Free Throw Impact

Stephen Curry is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, and his free-throw statistics strongly support this reputation. Over his career, Curry has maintained an elite free-throw percentage of about 91.2% (StatMuse ), which is the highest career free-throw percentage in NBA history. He has made over 4,100 free throws, showing both accuracy and consistency at the line across many seasons.

In recent years, Curry has continued to shoot free throws at an exceptional level. During the 2023–24 NBA season, he recorded a free-throw percentage of 92.3%, and in the 2024–25 season, he improved to approximately 93.3% while playing in around 70 games. (ESPN )

"The best shooter I've ever seen."

- Barrack Obama
He averaged roughly 4.3 free-throw attempts per game, demonstrating his ability to draw fouls while still converting at a high rate. These season-by-season percentages show that his free-throw efficiency has remained strong even as his career has progressed.

Curry’s extremely high free-throw percentage can be strategically leveraged to the Warriors’ advantage, especially in close games. Because he converts over 90% of his free throws, the team can prioritize getting him the ball late in games when opponents are more likely to foul intentionally. This increases the probability that each possession results in points and reduces the risk of missed scoring opportunities. Coaches can design offensive sets that force defenders to foul Curry rather than less efficient shooters, effectively turning defensive pressure into a scoring advantage. Over time, consistently putting a high-percentage free-throw shooter at the line improves end-game efficiency and maximizes expected points per possession, giving the Warriors a measurable edge in tight situations.


(SF Chronicle )

Overall, Curry’s free-throw data demonstrates how individual performance metrics can be collected and analyzed to reveal meaningful insights. His consistently high percentages contribute to reliable scoring for the Golden State Warriors and highlight the importance of efficiency in close games. This example shows how raw sports data can be transformed into useful information for analysis within a data systems framework.