NBA
Stephen Curry Will Never Live Down the Most Humiliating 10 Seconds of His NBA Career: ‘It Happens to the Best of Us’
Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.
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Stephen Curry hasn’t provided NBA fans with many embarrassing moments to make fun of over the course of his career. The Golden State Warriors star has already proven to be the most prolific shooter in league history, and he seemingly goes viral on a nightly basis with more mesmerizing handles or another impossible 3-pointer.
But back in 2019, Curry gave us one of the most hilarious NBA moments of the decade when he slipped and fell during a breakaway and proceeded to airball a 3-pointer seconds later. The humiliating 10-second sequence might be the only evidence we have that Curry is, in fact, human.
Stephen Curry’s most humiliating NBA moment
Stephen Curry is normally the one who humiliates opposing players on the NBA court with his other-worldly scoring ability, but he finally became the butt of the joke a few years ago.
During a regular-season game between the Warriors and Lakers at Staples Center in 2019, the Dubs held a comfortable 107-71 lead with the third quarter winding down. Why the starters were still in during a 36-point drubbing is unclear, but Curry surely wishes he had taken a seat a few minutes earlier.
With just over two minutes left in the quarter, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma lost control on a drive to the basket and threw an ill-advised pass right to Curry’s chest. Curry took off the other way for an uncontested layup or dunk, but he would never even make it that far.
As Curry loaded up for a flashy finish, he slipped on the court and wiped out directly under the basket. But that wasn’t going to stop the greatest shooter on the planet. He hopped right back up and bolted to the corner for a 3-pointer to redeem himself, but he only made things worse. Curry airballed his 3-point attempt as the Staples Center erupted in jeers.
Not his finest moment in the NBA to say the least.
Curry after the game: “It happens to the best of us”
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Curry must’ve been extremely embarrassed by the 10-second sequence immediately after the fact, but he had some fun with the blunder in his postgame press conference.
“Back-to-back hilarious plays. It happens to the best of us,” Curry told reporters after the game. “You see like a kid walk into a candy store with the whole half court empty. I was going to try something real nice that I haven’t tried before. The Lord wouldn’t let me do it.”
The highlight quickly made the rounds on SportsCenter, Twitter, and even made a special appearance on Shaqtin’ a Fool.
Curry later claimed the LA Kings were at fault
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The next night, Curry made an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden to explain his hysterical gaffe. He said the Kings, LA’s professional hockey team, had a game right before the Lakers, and that there must’ve been some ice leftover that caused him to slip.
Ron Funches, an actor and comedian who was also making an appearance on the show that night, exposed Curry for his story.
“Can I ask a question?” Funches posed. “How does the ice explain the airball?”
“Touché,” Curry responded in a defeated tone.
Let’s never let him live this one down please.
