Warriors’ Curry excited to host 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry was one month from turning 12 years old when the NBA All-Star Game was last in the Bay Area at The Arena in Oakland in 2000, yet he perfectly remembers the moments that remain on repeat.
The Warriors superstar still can see Vince Carter hammering home a 360-windmill dunk to get all of Oakland on its feet. Not even a teenager at the time, Curry will never forget Carter’s windmill from under the basket, him throwing it down between his legs with a little help from Tracy McGrady, hanging at the rim from his elbow and floating through the air to secure his dunk contest title.
Curry has special reasons for his memories, too. His father, Dell, was teammates with Carter and McGrady at the time, playing his first of three seasons for the Toronto Raptors. Steph quickly smiled and emphatically nodded his head up and down when reminded of what went down in Oakland 24 seasons ago.
“The interesting part about it is that’s when Vince [Carter] won the dunk contest,” Curry said to NBC Sports Bay Area in an upcoming episode of the “Dubs Talk” podcast. “He was my dad’s teammate at the time, so I remember him and Tracy McGrady — rubbing shoulders with them out in Toronto.
“We lived up there when my dad was playing. Just the excitement about them participating in the week, Vinsanity was riding into its peak. So I remember that vividly, the sights and sounds of that dunk contest.”
Replicating what Carter did for the dunk contest has been nearly impossible two-plus decades later. But instead of remembering a Bay Area All-Star Game as a fan, Curry can soon be a part of one as a headline act.
The NBA on Monday announced the Warriors will host the 2025 All-Star Game in San Francisco at Chase Center.
“For it to be back now on the other side of the bridge at Chase Center should be amazing,” Curry said.
Barring injury, Curry is expected to be named to his 10th All-Star Game this season. The honor would have him tied with Hall of Famer Paul Arizin for the most in franchise history. Arizin was named an All-Star all 10 seasons he played for the Philadelphia Warriors.
An 11th All-Star Game selection in 2025 would give Curry the Warriors record the same year Golden State hosts the game and all the festivities that come with it.
And while everyone knows Curry won’t be pulling off a Carter impression in the dunk contest, he’s already looking ahead to a different event. Curry is one of five players to win the 3-Point Contest exactly two times.
Only Larry Bird and Craig Hodges have won it three times.
“I won’t be out there dunking, but I know somebody will be putting on a show,” Curry said. “You might see me behind some 3-point racks. That’d be fun, too.”
In a year when San Francisco will become an epicenter of basketball, Curry can’t wait to continue being an elite ambassador for the Warriors and the sport as a whole.
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