Stephen Curry takes some of the hardest 3-point shots in the NBA. Defenses gear their entire game plans around preventing him from shooting, so he's seen every kind of double team from every angle imaginable. If you're wondering how he still makes so many of his shots, well, the answer might be that the shots he takes before games in order to warm up are even more ridiculous.
Take this one from Saturday, for instance. Before the Golden State Warriors took on the San Antonio Spurs, Curry put on a show for the few people who had arrived at Chase Center by drilling this shot from the tunnel both behind and above the basket and striking a pose with his butt out afterward:
This is insane pic.twitter.com/5i5B6JlDk3
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) December 5, 2021
The shot itself is nothing new from Curry. He long ago incorporated tunnel shots into his pre-game routine and they have grown increasingly absurd since the team moved to the Chase Center before the 2019-20 season. Here he is making a similar shot last season:
Steph's got a new "tunnel" shot 😲
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 13, 2020
🎥 @warriors 👉 @TheAthleticNBA pic.twitter.com/u08x3YaTrx
Curry is well known within the NBA for having one of the most meticulous pre-game warmup regimens in the league. Considering the degree of difficulty on the shots that he's taking in games, that makes sense. He needs to be prepared for anything. Apparently, "anything" includes shots from the tunnel. Despite his pre-game shooting show, Curry wasn't able to find his stroke against the San Antonio Spurs, finishing just 7 of 28 from the field, including 5 of 17 from 3, in their 112-107 defeat.
Still, should a time ever come when defenses are hounding him to such a degree that he has no choice but to shoot from the stands, it seems as though he'll be well prepared. Until then, it makes for a great viral clip.
