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Steph Curry’s Flagrant Foul vs. Thunder Marked a Career First for Warriors Star

Steph Curry was called for a flagrant foul for the first time in his career.
Steph Curry was called for a flagrant foul as the Warriors took on the Thunder
Steph Curry was called for a flagrant foul as the Warriors took on the Thunder | Screengrab via NBC Sports Bay Area

In Steph Curry’s 17th NBA season, there isn’t much the league’s all-time leader in three-pointers hasn’t accomplished.

As the Warriors traveled to Paycom Center to take on the Thunder Tuesday night, though, he made a rare career first. A first he wasn’t looking to fulfill, however. At the end of the first quarter, Curry was called for a flagrant foul when he stepped into the landing zone of Oklahoma City guard Isaiah Joe as he attempted a last-second three.

Remarkably, it was the first flagrant called on the four-time champion and two-time MVP.

After review, Curry was called for a flagrant 1, which is deemed unnecessary contact against an opponent, and Joe was given three free throws which he drained. Per NBC Sports Bay Area, he had gone 1,193 career games without committing a flagrant foul, which includes both the regular season and playoffs.

The NBA’s rulebook states that defenders must give airborne shooters the opportunity to land safely. When challenging a jump shot, if a defender extends into the landing area of the shooter, they can be called for a flagrant even if the contact was unintentional.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.