Tag: curry

Steph and Ayesha Curry approve of the new All-Star Game format

Ayesha Curry posted an Instagram story of her and Steph enjoying the new format in the 2020 All-Star Game.

The NBA took a bold, yet innovative approach to the 2020 All-Star Game. Each quarter of the game, the score reset. Between Team Giannis and Team Lebron, the winner of each period won $100,000 donated to the charity of their choice.

In the fourth and final quarter, there was no clock as the teams played to a total instead of time. The leading group, after three quarters, added 24 points to their score total, and that was the goal to end the game.

At the end of the third quarter in 2020, Team Giannis led 133-124, making the game-winning total 157. The final period turned into a pick-up style battle. Both teams traded blows with Team Lebron rallying back to seal the 157-156 win on an Anthony Davis free throw.

The format provided a higher level of intensity to the exhibition game, especially in the fourth quarter, stamping the change successful.
Yet, there was still something missing from the new version of the NBA All-Star Game.

For the first time in years, the Golden State Warriors did not have a member represented in the game. Both of Golden State’s perineal All-Stars, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have combined to miss almost the entire 2019-20 season due to injury. However, even injured, Curry finished in the top-10 of Western Conference guard voting.

Although Curry wasn’t available to play in the new construction, the six-time NBA All-Star weighed in on the matter with excitement. Ayesha Curry posted an Instagram story with her husband watching the All-Star Game.

Both members of the Curry family approved of the new format of the game.

Curry is still recovering from his broken hand injury, but reports point towards a March return. If Curry can hit his return target, the Warriors will have around 20 games left this season with their two-time Most Valuable Player.

Once fully healthy next season, Curry will have the opportunity to participate in the new and entertaining All-Star Game setup.

Giannis Antetokounmpo says a healthy Steph Curry makes it ‘way tougher for the rest of the league’

At All-Star weekend in Chicago, Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke about the absence of Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry.

Something is missing during the Chicago edition of NBA All-Star weekend. The Golden State Warriors have seemingly dominated the NBA’s famed event over the past five seasons, but in 2020 things are different.

Whether it’s Kevin Durant earning All-Star game Most Valuable Player, or Klay Thompson winning the Three-Point Contest, members of the Warriors have headlined the NBA’s star-studded weekend.

Yet, in 2020, the only member of the Warriors in Chicago was Eric Paschall, who was invited to the Rising Stars Challenge.

The lack of the Golden State Warriors at All-Star weekend connects a more significant theme for their 2019-20 season — injuries. Stephen Curry has only played four games this season due to a broken hand, and still placed in the All-Star voting top-10. At the same time, Thompson hasn’t played yet this season as he recovers from the ACL injury he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Injuries to Curry and Thompson have pulled the Warriors from perennial title contenders down to the bottom of the Western Conference.

Without the Warriors —  the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have catapulted to the top of the NBA standings.

Leading the Bucks is All-Star team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo. In Chicago, the 2019 Most Valuable Player spoke about the absence of Curry throughout the current NBA season.

Antetokounmpo told reporters at All-Star Game media day that players around the league are enjoying games with Curry out because of how difficult he makes things for his opponents.

Obviously, Steph Curry is an amazing talent, amazing player. The game is different without him, so we definitely — actually, let me be honest with you. The players, we kind of enjoy that he’s not playing — not enjoy that he’s hurt. We want him to be healthy, but he just makes it way, way tougher for the rest of the league, but I’m happy he’s going to be back healthy and happy that he’s going to be able to help his team win some games.

Reports have targeted March as Curry’s potential return from injury, giving him around 20 games to get back to making things tough on the rest of the NBA. Next season when Curry and Thompson both suit up healthy, the Warriors will restart their climb towards contention.

Steph Curry on a potential early March return from injury: ‘That’s the plan’

In a sideline interview during the Warriors game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Stephen Curry said he’s setting his return to action goal of early March.

Over the past week, the NBA trade deadline has dominated all headlines regarding the Golden State Warriors, and rightfully so. The Warriors traded All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that shook the NBA world.

24-year-old swingman, Andrew Wiggins, and a pair of 2021 draft picks came back to Golden State in the four-player mega deal. Beyond the transaction with the Timberwolves, the Warriors traded a total of six players before the deadline expired.

With Russell gone and the second half of the season underway, all eyes shift to the return of Stephen Curry.

Curry’s only played in the first four games of the 2019-20 season, missing a significant amount of time with a broken left hand. Although his recovery has been long, the two-time Most Valuable Player is progressing towards a return to the court.

Golden State re-evaluated Curry in early February with reports pointing towards a March return from injury. In a sideline interview on ESPN’s broadcast of the Warriors game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Curry was asked if he’s hoping to be back by early March.

That’s the plan — it’s been the plan since surgery knowing the timeline with the injury as severe as it was — I’m not rushing, but I’m setting a goal that hopefully I can meet — first week of March to get back out on the floor with my teammates and hopefully end the season on a strong note.

With the Warriors record sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, Golden State could be patient with Curry, even if he’s healthy. However, an early March return would give the All-Star guard around 20 games left on the season to build chemistry with his newest teammate, Wiggins.

Stephen Curry wears Kobe Bryant jersey to Chase Center vs. Lakers

In the Golden State Warriors first game since the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry wore Bryant’s No. 24 jersey to the game versus the Lakers.

It’s been 20 days since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, and his impact is still making waves throughout the NBA.

Since the fatal helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter, Gianna and seven others, the Golden State Warriors have been on a five-game east coast road trip.

On Saturday, the Warriors had the opportunity to honor Bryant against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors paid respect to Bryant by giving away T-Shirts that labeled both his No. 8, No. 24 and his daughter’s No. 2 jersey numbers.

Before the start of the game, Golden State played a pregame video tribute featuring Bryant.

Stephen Curry, who’s spoken about his relationship with Bryant, also posted a social media commemoration in honor of the fallen NBA legend. On Saturday, Curry continued the Bryant tribute by wearing a special No. 24 jersey to Chase Center.

Curry’s missed all but four games for the Warriors and won’t have the chance to honor Bryant with his play on the court. However, the two-time Most Valuable Player is progressing through his rehab and could return from his broken hand injury in March.

If things go as scheduled, Curry could be in line to play in Golden State’s final game against the Lakers on April 9 in Los Angeles if he’s able to return healthy from his broken hand injury.

The D’Angelo Russell and Steph Curry backcourt experiment was cancelled before it could start

Could the Golden State Warriors trading D’Angelo Russell impact the return of Stephen Curry from his broken hand injury?

Since the arrival of D’Angelo Russell in San Francisco, outside of trade chatter, one question followed the Golden State Warriors’ new guard everywhere he went.

How would Russell fit with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson? There were hurdles to jump before that question could be answered. Thompson dealing with a knee injury paused any chance of the two playing together, but before the 2019-20 season started, Curry and Russell were slated to be Golden State’s starting guard tandem.

Finding how Russell would play off the ball next to Curry became the focus at the start of the Warriors’ new season. Yet, again injuries disrupted things for Golden State’s new backcourt.

Curry has missed all but four games for Golden State with a broken hand injury, nixing any chance the point guard duo had at building any type of on-court chemistry.

However, as the season grew, and Curry progressed through his rehab, there was hope the two would get an opportunity to play together. Reports indicated Curry could potentially return in March, giving him and Russell around 20 games together before the season ended.

Could Russell’s game be elevated by playing next to another All-Star like Curry? How would Curry play next to another guard of Russell’s skillset? Appealing questions that were set to be answered in March.

Yet, a trade sent Russell, Jacob Evans III and Omari Spellman from Golden State to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and draft pick compensation. Golden State’s move before the trade deadline officially canceled the Russell and Curry backcourt experiment before it began.

Outside of knocking off the rust, Curry playing alongside Russell was a key factor in his return. How the two would play together would help evaluators find what features the team needed to put around Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green to find a way back to contention.

On the surface, it looks like Wiggins can click into the Warriors rotation, where there were serious questions about Russell’s fit. With that off the table, Golden State could now be even more patient with Curry’s injury.

Instead of an All-Star cast, the Warriors roster is now filled with young or developmental players outside of Green, Wiggins and Kevon Looney.

With next year’s hope of returning to the top of the Western Conference hinging on the health of Curry, the Warriors could continue to be cautious with his return. Whether that’s a dose of load management or postponing his recovery to a later date.

The Warriors record sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference and their leading scorer now playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, all arrows point to the offseason for Golden State. How the team handles the return from injury of their two-time Most Valuable Player now becomes the most intriguing mark in an otherwise down season.

Watch: Kevin Durant and Steph Curry reunite after Warriors vs. Nets

After the Warriors’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Stephen Curry embraced Kevin Durant with a hug following the loss.

There were several storylines heading into the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night game against the Brooklyn Nets. The game started with both Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks being scratched from the lineup with the NBA trade deadline looming.

There was the return of D’Angelo Russell, who spent two seasons in Brooklyn, registering one All-Star nod and a trip to the playoffs during his time with the Nets. Brooklyn fans greeted Russell with a homecoming welcome, thanking him for his time with the team.

Then there was the game, where the Warriors had a chance to stack their first three-game road winning streak of the season. However, the Warriors couldn’t eclipse 88-points in a loss to Brooklyn.

Finally, the most subtle, yet most intriguing headline was former Warrior Kevin Durant reuniting with his Golden State teammates. Stephen Curry and Durant are dealing with long-term injuries, sidelining both for the game.

Yet, after the final buzzer, the duo made time to reunite. Along the sideline, Curry and Durant embraced each other with a long hug.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Curry and Durant spent around five minutes chatting after the game ended.

Along with Curry, Durant met with several members of the Warriors after the game, including former teammate Draymond Green.

Durant joined Golden State for three seasons prior to signing with Brooklyn. As a member of the Warriors, Durant won three championships and two NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophies.

Injury Report: Warriors ‘hopeful’ Stephen Curry can return in March

The Golden State Warriors provided an update to the timetable for Stephen Curry’s return from his broken hand injury.

From the minute Stephen Curry broke his hand early in the season against the Pheonix Suns, fans of the Golden State Warriors have patiently been waiting for the calendar to flip to the month of February.

February was the target month for an official update on Curry’s injury, and true to their word, the Golden State Warriors laid out a new timetable for his recovery. Still, more waiting is on the horizon.

Curry has missed all but four games for Golden State during the 2019-20 NBA season, and that number will continue to grow.

Golden State announced Curry would be re-evaluated again in four weeks. Yet, they are hopeful he can “return to action at some point in March.”

The two-time Most Valuable Player has been rapidly progressing through his rehab lately, appearing everywhere you look with the Warriors. Curry was recently cleared to travel with the Warriors on the road and was spotted going through a pregame warm-up before Golden State tipped off against the Boston Celtics.

With the Warriors having lost 15 of their last 16 games and owners of the worst record in the NBA, expect Golden State to continue taking the cautious approach.

Getting him back on the floor next to D’Angelo Russell will help Bob Myers and Steve Kerr get a better look at Golden State’s potential backcourt of the future. However, beyond shaking off the rust and gaining comfort next to Russell, patience is key with Curry’s injury.

If Curry was able to return March 1, he would be eligible to play in the Warriors’ final 22 games on the season.

Watch: Injured Steph Curry does pregame shooting warm-up in Boston

Stephen Curry is still rehabbing from his broken hand injury, but before the Warriors tipped off against the Boston Celtics he went through a shooting warmup.

As the Warriors started their five-game road trip with a pair of losses, Golden State got a quick dose of positive news from one of their injured “Splash Brothers.” Before tipping off against the Boston Celtics, a familiar face joined the pregame festivities.

Stephen Curry is still rehabbing his broken hand. Yet, during the month of January, the two-time Most Valuable Player has made progress with his injury that’s kept him out all but four games this season.

Curry has been traveling with the team and participating in shooting workouts since having the pins removed from his surgically repaired hand. The injured All-Star took another step in his rehab on Thursday in Boston.

Before the game started, Curry was running around the court, going through a pregame shooting warmup. Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser was working with Curry, guarding him throughout the workout.

Before Curry wrapped up his pregame workout, he was spotted knocking down some of his signature long-distance shots.

Curry is scheduled to have his hand evaluated by the Warriors in February, with a report from Marcus Thompson III of The Athletic saying he could return in March.

In the meantime, seeing Curry off the bench and back in his natural habitat, launching three-pointers is a positive sign for a struggling Golden State Warriors’ squad.

Warriors could face up to $77.5 million luxury tax with new salary cap projections

With new NBA salary cap projections released, the Golden State Warriors could face a heightened luxury tax.

The NBA salary cap projections could have stifling consequences on the Golden State Warriors.

The league released projections for salary cap and luxury tax for the 2020-21 season to teams Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks.

With a lower salary cap and luxury tax than expected, the Warriors could be on the hook for a tax payment as high as $77.5 million, about $12 million more than what was expected.

The salary cap is expected to be $115 million, according to Wojnarowski. That would be an increase from the 2019-20 season, but not as much as the previously-predicted $116 million.

The luxury tax is projected to be $139 million, Wojnarowski reported.

As the roster currently stands, the Warriors’ 2020-21 payroll will be $147.87 million, according to Basketball Reference.

Four players on the Warriors roster are set to receive more than $20 million: Draymond Green’s extension will start at $22 million, D’Angelo Russell will be paid more than $28 million, Klay Thompson $35 million and Stephen Curry $40 million.

The Warriors will also likely add a high first-round draft pick to the sheet. A top-five pick would result in a cap hit ranging from $6.8 million to $10.73 million.

Golden State has a $5.9 million exception to use on a free agent, according to Wojnarowski and Marks.

If the Warriors use the entire taxpayer mid-level exception, their luxury tax bill could range from $77.5M if they get the No. 1 pick to as low as $61M if they get the No. 5 pick.

The easiest way to get under the luxury tax would be to trade Russell. A highly-coveted free agent this past offseason, he will have three years left for about $30 million per year after this season.

Moving his contract would put Golden State right near the luxury line, depending on other roster changes, and allow them to move manageable contracts to clear the rest of the way if needed.

But the Warriors have not been shy about exceeding the luxury tax in recent years. If the front office feels the team can still compete for a title when Curry and Thompson return from injury, it may pay the price again.

USA TODAY Sports Media Group salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan contributed research to this report.

After history in 2016, Warriors tune in for Kobe Bryant’s final game

Steve Kerr said after the Warriors won their historic 73rd regular-season game, in the locker room, the team tuned in to watch Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game.

On April 13, 2016, the Golden State Warriors made NBA history, winning their record-setting 73rd regular-season game. After taking down the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104, Golden State went into the locker room not to celebrate, but to watch the final game of an NBA legend.

On the same night, Kobe Bryant suited up for the last game of his NBA farewell tour against the Utah Jazz. Bryant made it memorable, scoring 60 points on 22-of-50 shooting from the field, leading Los Angeles to a 101-91 in the final game of his storied NBA career.

In the wake of a fatal helicopter crash that tragically claimed Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others’ lives, Steve Kerr was asked by Anthony Slater of The Athletic if he remembers Bryant’s epic final performance.

I do remember it — we made history and stayed out on the floor — it was a celebration out on the court and we stayed out on the floor for quite a while and then we all went in the locker room and the game was on — everybody’s whispering, ‘Kobe’s got 40’ and we watched the last few minutes as he racked up the points — players were all watching on their side of the locker room, and coaches were all in our locker room watching — it was an incredible night.

Kerr and the Warriors were able to celebrate Bryant’s life against the Philadelphia 76ers with an eight and 24-second violation at the start of their game.

The Warriors will have a chance to honor Bryant in San Francisco when they return to Chase Center on February 8 against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.