‘Ruining the game’ – Steph Curry addresses NBA’s 3-point problem after All-Star triumph
Steph Curry has changed the face of basketball. Led by the Golden State Warriors superstar, players are becoming deadly from beyond the arc. Curry added a second All-Star MVP award to his trophy cabinetGetty At some point, teams did the math and worked out three points was better than two. As a result, 3-point attempts are at record highs but ratings are heading in the opposite direction — down almost 50 percent since 2012. There are many potential reasons but chief among them is the increasingly common 3-point shootout, which takes much of the action fans tune in to watch off the board. Commissioner Adam Silver is aware of the problem and vowed to make a change amid suggestions the line could be moved back. “I don’t want to knee-jerk move the three-point line,” he said. “We’re going through a process now, seeing how these players are adapting to the new rules and figuring out whatever changes we should make. “I wish it were as simple as just moving the three-point line back because then we would just do it. Part of the concern from the basketball folks is that if you move the three-point line back, you’ll end up clogging up this area under the basket and that’s not such attractive basketball either. “I think this is doable by examining the game and seeing where this is going… I assure you, we are on it. I think it’s a very fixable issue. As stewards of the game, we’ll tweak it. We will correct those issues.” Curry has drained almost 4,000 shots from deep during his career. And, unsurprisingly, he wants to keep the most powerful weapon in his arsenal as it is. Curry is automatic from beyond the arcGetty The NBA has turned into a 3-point contestGetty “I love the work that goes into earning and deserving that confidence,” he. “That’s the message that I preach all the time. If you love basketball, to be able to shoot and get better and stretch your range. “I’d love you to be inspired to do that but you also got to work at it, too. “The ‘ruining the game thing’ is just a charge and a challenge. If you wanna do that, get in the gym, get your reps in and earn it. “I don’t have any problem with guys and teams shooting a lot of threes, obviously that’s the way that I play and I love that factor in the guy, you also got to put the work in behind the scenes to take full advantage of it.” The NBA is aware that fans are also turned off by the All-Star Weekend and tried to revive interest with a new format. Fans want to see more action around the basket Four teams faced off in a mini-tournament instead of the usual East vs West showdown. Shaquille O’Neal‘s outfit was inspired to victory by an MVP performance from Curry after LeBron James pulled out an hour before tip-off. The new format was his idea and the Warriors icon thought it was a move in the right direction. “I think it was a good step in the right direction to reinvigorate the game in some way,” Curry said. “And then you tinker with it again next year and see what changes you can make. “I don’t want to compare it to any other era, because the world has changed, life is different, the way people consume basketball is different. So it’s not going to look like it used to, but it can still be fun for everybody. I had fun. Our team had fun.” It is a testament to Curry’s ability that the 36-year-old’s legacy might be breaking basketball with his uncanny ability from distance.
Steph Curry has changed the face of basketball.
Led by the Golden State Warriors superstar, players are becoming deadly from beyond the arc.
At some point, teams did the math and worked out three points was better than two.
As a result, 3-point attempts are at record highs but ratings are heading in the opposite direction — down almost 50 percent since 2012.
There are many potential reasons but chief among them is the increasingly common 3-point shootout, which takes much of the action fans tune in to watch off the board.
Commissioner Adam Silver is aware of the problem and vowed to make a change amid suggestions the line could be moved back.
“I don’t want to knee-jerk move the three-point line,” he said.
“We’re going through a process now, seeing how these players are adapting to the new rules and figuring out whatever changes we should make.
“I wish it were as simple as just moving the three-point line back because then we would just do it. Part of the concern from the basketball folks is that if you move the three-point line back, you’ll end up clogging up this area under the basket and that’s not such attractive basketball either.
“I think this is doable by examining the game and seeing where this is going… I assure you, we are on it. I think it’s a very fixable issue. As stewards of the game, we’ll tweak it. We will correct those issues.”
Curry has drained almost 4,000 shots from deep during his career.
And, unsurprisingly, he wants to keep the most powerful weapon in his arsenal as it is.
“I love the work that goes into earning and deserving that confidence,” he.
“That’s the message that I preach all the time. If you love basketball, to be able to shoot and get better and stretch your range.
“I’d love you to be inspired to do that but you also got to work at it, too.
“The ‘ruining the game thing’ is just a charge and a challenge. If you wanna do that, get in the gym, get your reps in and earn it.
“I don’t have any problem with guys and teams shooting a lot of threes, obviously that’s the way that I play and I love that factor in the guy, you also got to put the work in behind the scenes to take full advantage of it.”
The NBA is aware that fans are also turned off by the All-Star Weekend and tried to revive interest with a new format.
Four teams faced off in a mini-tournament instead of the usual East vs West showdown.
Shaquille O’Neal‘s outfit was inspired to victory by an MVP performance from Curry after LeBron James pulled out an hour before tip-off.
The new format was his idea and the Warriors icon thought it was a move in the right direction.
“I think it was a good step in the right direction to reinvigorate the game in some way,” Curry said. “And then you tinker with it again next year and see what changes you can make.
“I don’t want to compare it to any other era, because the world has changed, life is different, the way people consume basketball is different. So it’s not going to look like it used to, but it can still be fun for everybody. I had fun. Our team had fun.”
It is a testament to Curry’s ability that the 36-year-old’s legacy might be breaking basketball with his uncanny ability from distance.
