Strategy

Tips for a higher Curryillion score

The obvious answer is the layup. Think of it, then move one step sideways before you submit. Rarity is how likely other players are to say that name, not how great the player was. The official page is explicit about that.

What the game itself tells you

The first name you think of is probably everyone else's.
Player means any NBA player in history unless the prompt narrows it.
Teams count on some prompts, and former names work.
Accents, periods, capitals and Jr. do not matter.
A safe answer beats a blank clock. Guesses are limited, so do not spray names.

Five sideways steps

These buckets are a way to search your memory. The names are real careers. They are not a Curryillion prompt, and I am not claiming a point value for any of them.

Older eras. If the prompt is open to any season, the 60s and 70s names are less likely to be the first thing typed.
A star's short stop. Hakeem Olajuwon finished with the Toronto Raptors in 2001–02. Shaquille O'Neal had the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009–10 and the Boston Celtics in 2010–11. Allen Iverson played for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009.
Role players on famous teams. The stars are the layup. The rotation names are the sideways step.
Journeymen who fit a stat line without being the headline.
Former franchise names. The Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis. The New Orleans Jazz became the Utah Jazz. The Buffalo Braves (1970–78) became the Clippers.

Career examples, not a list of accepted game answers
Example	Career fact	Status
Hakeem Olajuwon	Toronto Raptors, 2001–02	2 sources · NBA profile and Wikipedia
Shaquille O'Neal	Cavaliers, 2009–10; Celtics, 2010–11	1 source · Wikipedia career table
Allen Iverson	Memphis Grizzlies, 2009	1 source · Wikipedia career table

A 24-second order

This order is my synthesis, not a line from the rules. Spend the reading pause on the deep name. If it is not there when the box opens, try one medium name. If the clock is under five seconds, submit the safe name. A zero is worse than a 10, and a 10 you typed first can never become a 100.

What to skip

Do not open with the safe answer and hope to upgrade.
Do not burn the limited guesses on spellings you already know are wrong. Wait for the correction offer on a near miss.
Do not trust a single copied list. From edition 8, valid names can be added during the day, so a morning list and an evening list can differ.

Official Curryillion tips block on the how-to-play page — The short official tips live on the how-to-play page.

Curryillion on a phone-width layout, where the 24-second clock is the whole task — On a phone the clock is the whole screen. Plan the guess order before you type.

Questions

Can I upgrade a layup to 100?

No. The first correct answer ends the prompt. A safe opener is final.

Are the examples below today's answers?

No. They are career facts used as illustrations. Whether any of them is a 100 on a live prompt depends on that day's hidden list.

Sources

How to play — checked 2026-11-05
NBA: Hakeem Olajuwon profile — checked 2026-11-05
Hakeem Olajuwon — checked 2026-11-05
Shaquille O'Neal — checked 2026-11-05
Allen Iverson — checked 2026-11-05
Vancouver Grizzlies — checked 2026-11-05

Play today's edition on this page or on curryillion.com.