Curry's Signature Tunnel Shot Started With A Bet

OAKLAND (CBS SF) – It's the cherry that tops Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry's now signature pre-game warm-up routine.

A shot from the tunnel as he is exiting the court, heading to the Warriors lockerroom. It's not always guaranteed to go in, but when it does, it's a real show stopper.

"(Former Warrior) Monte Ellis used to do like a backward flip shot every once and a while from the tunnel," Curry said. "I don't know how often he made it. I saw him do it a couple times."

So Curry thought he'd try his own version and soon it caught the attention of a Warriors executive's son.

"We used to have a bet," he said. "Before every game I'd get 5 shots from the tunnel. We kept track throughout the season."

The pre-game routine also caught the eye of long-time Oracle Arena security guard Curtis Jones who soon joined in.

"Curtis asked why I was shooting it," Curry said. "He decided to touch the ball to put a little mojo in it. So I threw it to him and he threw it back to me…Now he's become more sophisticated with it. He get his own ball, hides it under the bench. I can't shoot (the shot) with any other ball."

"It's got to be the one he hides. He does a little shimmy with it and tosses to me with a little underhanded flip. He enjoys the whole process."

As for the original bet, Curry says it was a little costly.

"I think I paid for a couple summer vacations (for the executive's son) at one point," he said with a chuckle.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.