Blog 2.Stephen Curry: Beyond the Arc Genius

Stephen Curry and his search for a swishier-swish.

Do you know who Stephen Curry is? The basketball one, not his alter-ego who posts PDA spreads, showcasing, among other things, his killer abs. He caught flack for the content, but not his abs. They are outstanding. Don’t believe me? Search ‘Steph Curry no shirt’, and then scroll to your heart’s content.

If, on the other hand, you want to see how a master approaches his craft then Curry is your guy.

Possessing the purest jump shot (perhaps ever), he currently holds the record for most career 3 pointers. This comes on the heels of winning two league scoring titles, two league MVPs, four world championships with the Golden State Warriors, and the 2022 NBA Finals MVP.

With all those palmarès, what keeps him motivated? Well, for starters, his goals transcend our mortal desires. Win another championship? Sure, but every new draft pick promises that. Be the highest paid player? Done. Another Scoring Title? Meh. How about I shrink the basket? That's a goal!

Splitting Hairs

Here’s what he did. A regulation NBA hoop measures 18 inches across. Analysis from millions of data points, revealed that a shot can be up to 5 inches off dead centre and still swish—no backboard, no rim, just net. However, mere swishes no longer satisfy Curry. He went next level. Employing a shot-tracking algorithm, he then, in practice sessions, virtually shrunk the hoop’s ‘swishable’ diameter from 5 inches to three (2” for free throws), in the hopes of making his swishy shot, well, even swishier.

(For more background and credit for the term 'swishier' check out Stephen Curry’s Scientific Quest for the Perfect Shot by Ben Cohen in the Wall Street Journal (11/16/21)

For context, the human eye cannot pick up the difference between dead-center shots and those a few inches off. Now, why did he do this? For no other reason than to be better. Or the grittier version, to f*&^ing destroy his opponents.

As good as he is, Curry doesn’t perform in a vacuum. To stay ahead of his opponents, he needs an edge. Wherever our arena is—Chase Center (Warriors’ home court), work, home, family—life adapts around us. The value we get from it, yes that old chestnut, is directly proportional to the effort we put out. Yet, typically out of habit, we follow the same scripts, potentially dulling our lived experience from our jobs and exercise routines to our relationships. We need to shrink our own baskets.

I Shrink Therefore I Become

The shrinking baskets is a ‘becoming’ goal. Through its pursuit, we seek mastery of ourselves. Further, Curry admits that no matter how good he currently is, he isn't there yet, and never will be. So he practices. He becomes.

The genius of Curry’s methodology lies in the vague/specific duality. Simply saying he needs to improve his shot, means little. There is no ‘how’ behind it. Instead using technology, he zeroes in on a specific piece, the shrunken, swishable center. A deliberate action supports the vague desire, a better shot.

She’s Indifferent

To put it politely, fate gives two 💩💩about our plans. Yes, striving for accolades like titles and trophies are worthy ends, but in reality, luck plays a huge role in whether we get them. Another player drops in a few more shots, and poof, Curry comes second. Same with championships. Injuries, to him or a teammate, implode the best laid game plans, and sometimes the other team is just better.

But no one can take away his smaller basket, which is why, twice a week, he fires up the shot tracker, and drop dimes on a teeny hoop for 90 minutes. In the end, his practice could boost his chances of pulling off a miraculous play late in a deciding game. Fate likes those things. Nothing is certain, mind you. She is most cruel, but through practices like this, Curry might tilt the odds his way.