“Instigator” Kevin Durant Calls Out Stephen Curry; Picks Sabrina Ionescu for Upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend 3-Point Contest

The upcoming NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis will have something that has never happened before. A historic three-point shootout between the league’s all-time three-point king, Stephen Curry, and the reigning WNBA three-point shootout queen, Sabrina Ionescu. This highly anticipated clash promises to be an entertaining event that transcends gender barriers and highlights the incredible abilities of two sharpshooters from different levels of professional basketball.

With the event’s hype building up more and more as the All-Star weekend approaches, some players have already started picking their sides. One of those players is the 14x All-Star Kevin Durant. As he had been a former teammate of Curry and won two championships with him, it was obvious that he would pick him. In an interview post-game, he even said, “Sorry Sabrina. You can shoot, but not against the greatest,” and showed his support for the 4x NBA champion. However, Curry thought that KD would not pick him, as according to him, Durant is an “instigator.” 

Upon listening to this, the 35-year-old Suns’ forward took offense and immediately took to social media and switched sides saying, “I can’t believe u would call me an instigator, Stephen. I’m taking Sabrina.” So, now not only Durant but the whole world is picking their sides and is excited about the result of this matchup as both the players are prolific shooters.

Stephen Curry, known for his exceptional shooting ability, holds four of the top five single-season three-point marks in NBA history, including an amazing 402 threes in 2015-16. On the other hand, Ionescu led the WNBA with 128 three-pointers last season, demonstrating her accuracy at over 45% from beyond the arc. So, this clash is promising to be highly competitive. However, from where did the idea of this match come up?

Stephen Curry challenged Sabrina Ionescu to a shootout

The concept for this one-of-a-kind clash between Curry and Ionescu came months ago, when Ionescu, carrying her WNBA three-point shootout trophy, copied Curry’s famous lights-out gesture at the WNBA All-Star event. Curry then talked with his Warriors teammate Brandin Podziemski about Ionescu’s three-point record during a mic-up period for Golden State’s game versus Sacramento and mentioned his willingness to take on Ionescu after watching her great performance in the WNBA three-point battle last summer.

Read More: ‘Religious’ Stephen Curry Reiterates His Strong Faith Amid Warriors’ Hell Season

Looking at that, Ionescu did not back down and quickly accepted the challenge on social media, laying the groundwork for a cross-league matchup. However, this historic matchup is more than simply a shooting competition. It is a celebration of unity and respect for one another between two basketball greats. As the All-Star weekend comes closer, basketball fans anxiously await the conclusion of this friendly battle that promises to leave an unforgettable impression in the history of All-Star celebrations.

Watch this Story: When Did Stephen Curry Last Not Make a Three-Pointer in Game?