Getty Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry celebrates with his Finals MVP trophy.
If we’re being honest, Stephen Curry’s 2021-22 regular season left something to be desired for the Golden State Warriors. That is, if it’s being compared to the incredibly high standard he has established across a GOAT-level career, anyway.
Not counting his injury-plagued 2019-20 season, Steph’s field-goal conversion rate (43.7%) and three-point efficacy (38%) were the lowest of his career. He also missed several games down the stretch due to injury.
The baller redeemed himself in grand fashion during the playoffs and with his MVP-worthy Finals run, though. And the good vibes created by his resurgence were perfectly encapsulated each and every time Curry dropped his “Night, Night” celebration.
Whether he was dispatching the Grizz, hitting a clutch three in Luka Doncic’s eye or clinching the Larry in Beantown, he was resting his head against his hands and sweet-dreaming the opposition in short order.
Steph’s new, go-to taunt captured the collective imagination of the masses to such a degree that it began popping up in other sports and at every level of competition. Meanwhile, Curry himself continues to break it out in a veritable bonanza of situations.
Not everyone is down with the movement or its ubiquitous nature, however.
Twitter Shades Steph for Flashing ‘Night, Night’ Celebration at Title Bout
Steph doing his celebration at #CaneloGGG3
Curry and his former teammate, Los Angeles Lakers signee Juan Toscano-Anderson, were in attendance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The occasion: champion boxer Canelo Alvarez was defending his undisputed super middleweight title against rival Gennadiy Golovkin.
During the event, Steph was snapped striking his night-night pose. And while the card-carrying members of Dub Nation were probably thrilled to see it, his latest display of the now-iconic celebration rubbed a lot of people the wrong way on Twitter.
“Does he have to make everything about himself?” wondered one commenter.
“You know Steph is corny like that,” opined another fan. “Over a decade in, all those rings and awards, and he still doesn’t know how to just be cool.
“He’s milking a celebration that he didn’t even invent,” wrote a third tweeter, who was one of many to reference the fact that pro-wrestler CM Punk has been flashing the night-night taunt as a precursor to his “Go To Sleep” finisher since the mid-2000s.
“It just gives off the vibe that he’s desperate for attention,” added a fourth respondent to the picture.
“He’s the cringiest person alive I stg man this is why only 7 year olds like him,” another post read.
Also, the Fight Happened
In what was another closely-contested bout, Alvarez was able to retain his championship by beating Golovkin in yet another 12-round classic. The 32-year-old secured the victory by way of unanimous decision, as two judges scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Alvarez, while a third’s scorecard had it at 116-112.
“Thank you so much, my friend. Thank you for everything. We gave the fans three good fights,” Alvarez told his opponent in the wake of the match.
“This is the best fighter in boxing. Everyone knows who [Canelo is]… It’s a huge fight. Look at his face; look at my face. We trained well, and this shows that we did a very good, quality fight,” Golovkin added.
“Today, Canelo is better. Congrats to Canelo.”
For his part, Steph offered his own congratulations to the fighter: