Stephen Curry can do many things with a basketball, from nailing 30-foot 3-pointers with ease to dribbling around defenders effortlessly. However, there is one thing the 36-year-old never got around to doing: Learning how to spin a basketball on his finger.
Spinning a basketball on a finger perhaps is one of the first tricks any basketball player learns when they are growing up. It appears as if that trick is not in the four-time NBA champion’s bag, however, as he demonstrated in a video released by the NBA as the team prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Simply put, the players on the team were asked if they were able to spin the ball and for the most part, they were able to do so. When Curry was asked to spin the ball, he immediately explained why he was unable to.
“So, I can do a lot of things with a basketball, a lot of things,” Curry began. “That is the one thing that I cannot do.” When asked if he should be able to do it because he’s a professional basketball player, Curry sheepishly replied that not learning how to spin a ball was a crux of his.
“That’s one of the most embarrassing things of just me,” he continued as he dribbled a ball off his leg. “You got me nervous even thinking about it spinning a ball on my finger.” He then attempted to spin the ball and when the ball inevitably fell off after a short period, Curry playfully slammed the ball, shouting: “Can’t do it. I can’t do it!”
Along with Curry, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid were unable to spin a ball on their finger. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant couldn’t believe his ears when told Embiid couldn’t spin a ball on his finger, stating: “That’s sickening.”
Fans on social media were shocked to know how Curry seemingly was unable to do a rudimentary trick and were quick to make their thoughts known. “STEPH CAN’T DO IT? Definitely was not expecting that. I want to see the reactions of the others when they find that out,” a fan posited.
Another fan believed Curry would be the best at it considering how well his handles are and was surprised to know the Golden State Warriors star was unable to do so. Other fans found it very ironic that Curry could nail almost any shot in the gym but couldn’t spin a ball.
In the end, a poster noticed how competitive Curry was when he couldn’t do the trick. “These guys are so competitive even with the smallest things,” the comment began.