Words don’t do justice to Stephen Curry’s impact on basketball. The Golden State Warriors star has revolutionized the way the NBA plays, which has now trickled down to the next generation, who have fallen in love with the three-point shot. One of these young guns influenced by Curry is Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard.
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After a standout season at Kentucky, Sheppard was the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. His ability to shoot the ball, along with his finishing ability, intrigued teams across the league. Unfortunately, he didn’t receive much playing time during his rookie season.
On paper, it seemed like a no-brainer to play Sheppard, but he was still a bit of a raw prospect. However, he has managed to change that narrative. In his sophomore season, Sheppard has proven to Rockets head coach Ime Udoka that he is worth playing and has consequently appeared in every game for the Rockets.
He is averaging 12.7 points and 3.0 assists per game on an impressive 39% from three-point range. That three-point percentage becomes even more impressive once you realize Sheppard is attempting 6.2 per game, even changing the game, much like Curry. Subsequently he has earned the nickname Cocaine Curry.
After their win against the Mavs, a media member enlightened Curry’s former backcourt partner, Klay Thompson, about Sheppard’s new nickname. The Mavericks forward offered a candid reaction.
“I think Reed’s a great shooter,” Thompson said to the media. “I don’t think anyone should be in the same sentence as Steph, though. That’s crazy.”
Klay Thompson hearing about Reed Sheppard’s nickname “Cocaine Curry”
“Reed is a great shooter but I don’t think anyone should be in the same sentence as Steph though”
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To Thompson’s dismay, the Curry comparisons aren’t likely to be stopping anytime soon. Kobe Bryant went through the same thing, once people began giving nicknames to players that were a play on Black Mamba. But you can argue that it comes from a place of endearment.
Nevertheless, Thompson does have a point. After all, Sheppard has a long way to go before he should even be considered remotely close to Curry. A minor sophomore season jump shouldn’t equate to such praise. That said, a few seasons of such madness and who knows, Thompson might come around.
