- Before the pandemic, Steph Curry regularly drew crowds at Oracle Arena hours before tipoff as he worked through his dazzling pregame routine and completed his famous tunnel shot.
- Now that the Golden State Warriors have moved to the Chase Center, Curry’s signature shot has taken on a new look.
- Instead of shooting from just outside the tunnel, Steph has taken to draining threes from the second floor of the stands at the team’s new arena.
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Steph Curry is mega-famous thanks to his unprecedented shooting range, pin-point accuracy, and crafty passing ability.
But the most impressive tricks up the two-time NBA MVP’s sleeve routinely appear before the game even starts.
Back when fans were welcome in NBA arenas, the Golden State Warriors’ superstar point guard regularly drew crowds hours before tipoff as he worked through his dazzling pregame routine. Complete with two-ball dribbling drills, hook shots, floaters from each hand, scoop shots, step-backs, whatever this is, three after three after three, and his pièce de résistance: the tunnel shot.
Curry’s famous long-range shot – which he typically takes from just outside the entrance to the tunnel back to the locker room – is no longer possible in its traditional form now that the Warriors have moved from Oracle Arena in Oakland to the sparkling new Chase Center in San Francisco. But the six-time NBA All-Star vowed to “get creative with something” when he realized his tunnel shot would not make the transition to Golden State’s new home.
Now, he’s followed through on his promise. Before the Warriors’ first preseason game of the year Saturday – a 107-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets – Curry sank his new-look tunnel shot from the stands at an empty Chase Center.
Here's another angle that captures the absurdity of his upper-deck three.
—Whitley Sandretto (@WSandretto) December 13, 2020
Steph's new shot and the team's new digs aren't the only things that'll look different for Golden State this season. The second half to the Splash Brothers tandem - Klay Thompson - is out for the second consecutive season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon shortly following his recovery from an ACL tear in his left knee.
Much of the conversation surrounding the 2020-2021 Warriors features conjecture about the end of their dynasty, which brought the franchise - and Curry - three championships in a four-year span. But even if such speculation proves correct as an understaffed Golden State team looks to take on titans in the Western Conference, Warriors fans can rest assured that they'll still be entertained so long as their shifty point guard is on the floor.
- Read more:
- Golden State players including Steph Curry and Draymond Green are taking morning Peloton rides together in the 'Tour de Warriors'"
- The Warriors nearly traded Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for Chris Paul in 2011, but CP3's reluctance to stay in the Bay Area long term broke up the deal
- A Florida Gators basketball player is in a medically induced coma after collapsing on the court in a terrifying scene
- One of women's college basketball's brightest stars threw down a mid-game dunk against her team's top rivals