For the better part of the last decade, Stephen Curry and the Warriors were alive in the playoffs at this juncture. As such, Curry would have studied film on his opponents to figure out ways to capture another NBA championship. This year, though, with Golden State not making the playoffs, Curry is doing a different type of video scouting.
On Tuesday, ESPN released footage of Curry breaking down highlights of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes playing basketball in high school. However, Curry was only asked to analyze the game of “Jersey No. 5” without being told he was watching Mahomes’ reel.
“He’s got a nice like…he shoots with his whole body. I was going to give him some compliments on how fluid he was with his footwork,” Curry said.
When told he was observing Mahomes’ highlights, Curry was seemingly stunned.
“No, it’s not, no, it’s not,” Curry reacted. “You would have no idea that’s Pat Mahomes right there. He looks pretty comfortable around the trees, as we call it when you get in the paint. So, it seems like his pocket presence looks pretty solid.”
Curry also noticed some “creativity” in Mahomes’ game, especially his double spin moves and ability to use his body while attacking the lane. However, he wasn’t impressed with Mahomes’ jump shot.
“The jumper needs work,” Curry said.
.@StephenCurry30 breaks down @PatrickMahomes BASKETBALL film pic.twitter.com/QzQe9jIiS2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 28, 2024
Those highlights were from Mahomes playing in the 2012-13 varsity basketball season for Whitehouse High School in Texas. The multi-talented athlete averaged 19.9 points through 27 games.
There’s been a lot of talk lately of certain NBA players having the tools to play in the NFL and vice-versa. Curry’s assessment of Mahomes suggests that the Chiefs star would have excelled in either sport.
