Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors have been without star point guard Stephen Curry since he injured his lower left leg back on February 4. While recovering from the ailment, Curry has been promoting the re-release of his Under Armor Curry 2 sneaker. The shoe is being released with a special colorway inspired by one of the most famous plays of the 3-point king’s career, the long-distance game-winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016.
Golden State’s baby faced assassin paid a visit to the man who brought the play to life, Hall-of-Fame play-by-play man Mike Breen. Breen was on the call that night and gave Curry a “double bang” call when the shot went down.
The new edition of the sneakers was given the “double bang” nickname upon release.
As part of the shoe’s retro-release, Curry paid a visit to Breen and gifted him the first pair of the kicks inspired by his famous call. He shared a video of the wholesome exchange to his Twitter on Saturday.
“Seven years ago you had one of the greatest calls in regular-season history, the ‘double-bang.’ So I wanted to give you this as a token of appreciation for that moment,” Curry told Breen.
The 2022 Finals MVP handed the legendary commentator the box containing the shoes, as well as a special record message of Curry reciting the famous call and then asking Breen for a “triple-bang” before he retires.
7 years to the day… a moment I’ll never forget. It’s only right the 👑 of the “Baaang Baaang!!” got the first pair!! Mike Breen, thanks for everything you’ve done for our amazing game. We had to bring these back for y’all 🙌🏽
Warriors’ Donte DiVincenzo Shines Light on Steph Curry’s Leadership
Curry’s exchange with Breen was wholesome without a doubt. Paying homage to the greats typically is a great sign of character.
If you ask Curry’s teammate Donte DiVincenzo, his strong character is reflected in his leadership as well.
In a recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, DiVincenzo discussed what it’s like playing alongside the Warriors great, painting him as a tremendous leader.
“When Steph talks, it’s very impactful,” DiVincenzo told Monte Poole. “He also leads by example. He’s just a great human being.”
The former Villanova star touched on Curry’s sense of humor as well, telling Poole that the 34-year-old is known to crack a joke or two.
“Yeah, [Curry will] mess with me all the time, and you never expect it,” DiVincenzo told Poole. “He’ll come in and it’s all quiet, and then he’ll just pop a joke and you won’t expect it.”
Klay Thompson Wants to Assume a Leadership Role for Warriors
The Warriors were able to pick up a win in their February 24 matchup against the Houston Rockets despite Curry’s absence.
His Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, turned out to be the driving force behind the Dubs’ victory in front of the home crowd. Thompson poured in 42 points against Houston, knocking down 12 threes in the process.
Following his career-night, Thompson spoke with the media. He discussed how he is working to become a better leader for his younger teammates, citing body language as a key point of emphasis.
“I try to be loud on defense,” Thompson told reporters. “I try to be encouraging on the bench. I actually saw a great video of (UConn women’s coach) Geno Auriemma talking about his players and how he might not let the girls get in (the game) if they don’t show great body language, how he watches game film and he observes his players if they are engaging on the bench, if they’re being a great teammate. That resonated with me a lot. (Earlier) this year, I’d be in my own feelings because I wasn’t shooting the ball well or I didn’t feel like myself. After hearing that, you know, Geno’s been around so much greatness, I just reminded myself to be a leader. I’ve been here so long. I’ve got to lead. I’ve got to use my voice.”