Stephen Curry changed the game of basketball with his long-range shooting. Now, he may be changing the way we celebrate sports, too.
Curry made this feat famous during the Warriors’ run to the 2022 NBA championship. After a few years off, Curry brought the gesture back for an even bigger stage — the Olympics — and used it to great effect during his fourth-quarter explosion over France and Victor Wembanyama. U.S. men’s basketball did, too; buoyed by Curry’s heroics, the Americans took home another gold medal — their 21st in program history and seventh in eight attempts since NBA players were allowed to participate in the competition.
Curry launched three-pointer after three-pointer toward the gleaming Bercy Arena basket. More often than not, his attempts found their target, captivating some and disconcerting others in the stands.
When the dust settled, Curry’s performance reigned supreme. So did his little dance, a move that will no doubt take the sports world by storm.
Here’s what you need to know.
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Curry is a trendsetter in more ways than one. From the way he chews on his mouthguard during free throws to his shaky movements after big plays, the Warriors and All-American guard is known for starting a revolution once or twice.
The origins of the ‘Night Night’ celebration don’t appear to stem from Davidson’s shooter, at least not at first glance.
As numerous Twitter users pointed out, famed wrestler CM Punk performed this move regularly in the late 2000s. In fact, CM Punk made the gesture a prominent element of one of his signature moves, the “Go To Sleep” finishing move.
We’re still not sure if Curry received the CM Punk gesture. If you ask him, it was something that came out of the blue.
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“I have no idea. I don’t organize any of that,” Curry said after Game 2 of the 2022 Western Conference Finals.
I was just having fun. You talk about having kids. You know bedtime routines are important. It’s the final sign that the job was well done that day. Pretty special.
Here’s Curry performing the move while appearing to say “Night, night” in that play, just for good measure.
Steph said: NIGHT, NIGHT, DALLAS ? image.twitter.com/qNWiztcrMW
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 21, 2022
The gesture has been a part of the sports world for at least a decade. It’s quite likely that it’s been around even longer than that. I mean, what baseball player hasn’t said “goodnight” after making a spectacular shot? Regardless of its origin, it’s clear that Curry popularized it and made it mainstream.
He brought it to the fore again during the U.S.’s gold medal clash against France, employing it to great effect after hitting a frankly absurd step-back 3-pointer over double coverage to secure the win (and gold medal glory) for the Americans.
“THE GOLDEN DAGGER!”
Steph Curry, that’s completely ridiculous. ?#ParisOlympics | NBC and Peacock image.twitter.com/8hIN8tgmfK
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
TEAM USA SAID GOOD NIGHT. ??? #ParisOlympics image.twitter.com/soaz3P2SBp
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 10, 2024
Many in the sports world have taken note of Curry’s exploits in the years since his debut, from Sabrina Ionescu to Andrew McCutchen. Those emulations are expected to continue in the months and years ahead, fueled by an explosion of shooting and scoring excellence that only Curry could conjure.
