Why Stephen Curry Won’t Participate In NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest
Once again, the NBA has put together a strong pool of players for the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend. Joining the familiar faces of Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving – both of whom have won the competition before – are Kyle Lowry, Kemba Walker, Eric Gordon, Wesley Matthews, C.J. McCollum and Nick Young. While only four out of the eight are actually All-Stars, they make up a small list of players who have made over 100 3-pointers this season.
There is one obvious name missing from the list, however: Stephen Curry. The Warriors all-star is currently leading the league in 3-pointers made (202) and holds a number of records such as the most 3-pointers made in a season (402) and the most 3-pointers made in a single game (13), so you’d think he’d be an obvious choice. But it’s not because the NBA decided to give his position to someone else. It’s because Curry wants to make the most of his extended break over All-Star Weekend by resting as much as possible.
“I’ve done it six times I think,” Curry said about the 3-point contest. “I told myself I was going to do it until I won. And then I won, and then I had to defend, and then Klay [Thompson] beat me. So it’s a little bit of an internal battle. But honestly, this All-Star Weekend is kind of the slowest, schedule-wise, I’ve had and I wanted to capitalize off that rest.”
Curry went on to admit it was a tough decision to turn down the opportunity because, “I love the spotlight of being out there shooting, competing with the field and yourself.” But seeing as he’s coming off two straight NBA Finals appearances – not to mention being a part of a team that won 73 games last season and a team that is going to come close to winning 70 games this season – you can’t blame him for sitting this one out.