Neither shot the ball well, neither were the leading scorer and neither were the MVP, but that doesn’t mean this wasn’t an incredibly successful All-Star Sunday for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
“We’re doing things that haven’t been done in our franchise in a very long time,” Curry said. “And we’re going to remember this and hopefully, like I said, be doing some great things come postseason as well.”
For decades, All-Star Saturday was the only national attention the Warriors would receive that didn’t involve the draft, trades or choking out your head coach. Now, with a human highlight reel and MVP contender, the best two-way shooting guard in the league and the best record, the Warriors are – quickly – becoming America’s Team.
Curry and Thompson didn’t have impressive individual All-Star performances, but that doesn’t mean some highlights weren’t mixed in. Instead of his much heralded shooting stroke, Curry’s reel came in the form of passes and one preposterous layup.
It started in the first quarter, when Curry went through the defense under the basket and lobbed a no-look pass to a driving James Harden, who proceeded to throw it down in stride. For one night, Curry throwing it to James Harden or sharing the floor with Chris Paul wasn’t met with wrath.
The next highlight came in the form of an alley-oop, where Curry and Dirk Nowitzki connected on a rare dunk attempt from the future Hall-of-Famer. It also led to the best celebration of the night, with Nowitzki and the Splash Brothers sharing a moment.
“When that play happened, when I threw it, I saw him at the last second,” Curry said. “I didn’t know who it was. When I made my mind to throw it up, I looked to see who it was. I already committed to throwing it. I just hoped he could get up there, and he did.
The celebration was even better than the dunk, pulling out the old Vince Carter celebration.”
Another moment that won’t get the attention it deserves is Curry’s horning of fallen victim Deah Shaddy Barakat. After writing “#CURRYFORDEAH” and “#RIPDEAH” on his shoes Saturday night, he confirmed after the game that he’ll be sending the family the pair of shoes.
The play that will receive the most views on social media was one that actually saw Curry score. After Curry slithered through the teeth of the East defense, he dribbled right, and with Horford still shadowing, flipped a floating underhand layup high off the glass. It was Curry’s biggest moment in what was an otherwise off night.
“Those are my flashy plays that I like to do,” Curry said.
As for Thompson, he apparently left his shooting stroke at Barclays Center, as he finished 2-for-11 in just under 20 minutes. Still, the first-time All-Star was thankful for the opportunity.
“I’m just happy I was out there,” said Thompson. “Obviously you want to shoot better. I know I’ll have great performances in the future.”
It was a special weekend for the organization and fans alike, who have seen Curry and Thompson evolve and grow into two of the game’s brightest stars. Especially Curry, who will be a staple at the point-guard position for many All-Star games to come. Even the man himself sees himself as a face of the league one day.
“I hope to be,” said Curry. “Obviously it’s nice that the fans are supportive and show out like that in the voting process for the All Star Game. I never expected that. Two years ago I wasn’t here, so it’s pretty special. And I hope to continue that trend upward to doing great things in this league.”
It’ll be more difficult for Thompson to make more games, given the surplus of guards in the West as well as his lack of star power. If Kerr wasn’t at the helm, any other coach might’ve adjusted the lineup more traditionally with Harden starting in the backcourt and LaMarcus Aldridge in the frontcourt.
Curry and Thompson now get to rest until Friday, where the San Antonio Spurs come to Oracle for the second and last home game the team has in February. They had fun this weekend, but it’s back to business for the league’s best team.
Midseason accolades are welcomed, but are no longer what is the ultimate goal. That’s for June.