Stephen Curry is headed back to NBA All-Star weekend. Sabrina Ionescu will be awaiting him.
The shootout both of them desired is formally a truth, the NBA revealed Tuesday. “Stephen vs. Sabrina” will occur as part of All-Star Saturday Night in Indianapolis on Feb. 17. Curry, the NBA’s all-time 3-point king, will handle the ruling WNBA 3-point shootout queen and single-season record holder Ionescu.
“Stage is set! Let’s get it,” Curry published on social networks.
Ionescu reacted just: “Let’s go!”
This match was months in the making. Curry was wired with a microphone for Golden State’s video game last Thursday night versus Sacramento and had a conversation with Warriors colleague Brandin Podziemski about Ionescu, who scored an almost-perfect 37 points in the WNBA’s 3-point contest last summertime. That topped Curry’s NBA 3-point contest finest of 31.
“I believe I’ve got to challenge her,” Curry informed Podziemski.
Ionescu reacted on social networks: “Let’s getttttt it !! See ya at the 3 pt line.” She technically started the difficulty: Ionescu presented for an image mimicing Curry’s well-known lights-out position while holding her prize at the WNBA All-Star occasion and raised the possibility of a match.
The NBA was more than pleased to make it take place.
Curry will shoot from the NBA 3-point line with NBA basketballs, and Ionescu will shoot from the WNBA 3-point line with WNBA basketballs. At stake: boasting rights and a great deal of money for charity– Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play. not-for-profit and Ionescu’s SI20 Foundation will get a contribution from the NBA and WNBA for getting involved. Every shot they make– $1,000 for routine threes, $2,000 for money-ball threes and $3,000 for much deeper threes from almost 30 feet– will bring a contribution from State Farm to the NBA Foundation “to support financial empowerment in the Black neighborhood,” the league stated.
Curry has 4 of the 5 greatest single-season 3-point overalls in NBA history, with his record of 402 can be found in the 2015-16 season. Ionescu led the WNBA with 128 threes last season, while shooting almost 45% from range.
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“I’m visualizing a Bobby Riggs versus Billie Jean King from 1973, so possibly it’s the modern-day fight of the sexes,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated. “I understand those 2 are close. Sabrina being from the bay, we’ve seen her at our video games before and everyone enjoys her and pulls for her. It’ll be enjoyable to see them shooting versus each other.”
Not a surprise here: Victor Wembanyama is headed to his very first All-Star weekend.
The San Antonio novice and No. 1 total choice in 2015’s NBA draft was among 28 gamers chose for the Rising Stars video games, to be hung on the Friday of All-Star weekend, Feb. 16.
No. 2 choice Brandon Miller of Charlotte and No. 3 choice Scoot Henderson of Portland are signing up with Wembanyama amongst the novices picked for the video games– the format is a mini-tournament with seven-player lineups, and a national championship after 2 semifinals. Henderson remains in the occasion for a 3rd time, after being chosen two times when he bet the G League Ignite in 2022 and 2023.
Selected from the novice class were Oklahoma City colleagues Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly, Utah’s Keyonte George, New Orleans’ Jordan Hawkins, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dallas’ Dereck Lively II and Golden State’s Podziemski.
From the second-year class are Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels, Detroit colleagues Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey, Utah’s Walker Kessler, Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, Sacramento’s Keegan Murray, Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe, Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. and Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams.
Ruling slam dunk champ Mac McClung was among 7 G League gamers chose for the occasion, together with Izan Almansa, Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, Tyler Smith, Oscar Tshiebwe and Alondes Williams.