One of the most memorable moments in the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indiana was the thrilling 3-point contest between Golden State Warriors sniper Stephen Curry and New York Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu.
Curry won that matchup via a final round score of 29-26, but regardless of who won the one-on-one contest, the event itself was a hit among fans. So much so that many expected it to be back, with Shams Charania reporting in November that a rematch with a seemingly cool twist was being talked about.
But in the end, what would have likely been another exciting 3-point event involving Stephen Curry and Ionescu did not push through because according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the idea of giving it another go for the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend felt “forced,” per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“Adam Silver said that after talking to Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, the idea of them repeating their competition from last season felt ‘forced,' which is what led to it not happening again this year,” posted Bontemps on Saturday.
Indiana Fever star and Iowa Hawkeyes legend Caitlin Clark and former Warrior Klay Thompson, now with the Dallas Mavericks, were also said to be discussed as potential additions to the 3-point contest, but that clearly is not going to happen — at least in 2025. It can also be recalled that Clark declined an invitation from the NBA to join the 3-point contest.
“We just all weren’t collectively feeling it,” Silver also said about the failed recreation of the unique 3-point contest event (via 95.7 The Game).
In any case, there's still the traditional NBA 3-point contest for fans to watch on Saturday night. Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks, Buddy Hield of the Warriors, Norman Powell of the Los Angeles Clippers, Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons are all going to be competing for the 3-point title, which Stephen Curry had won the contest two times, topping the field in 2015 and 2021.
Curry is shooting 39.0 percent from deep in the 2024-25 NBA season while Ionescu made 36.4 percent of her threes in the 2024 WNBA campaign.
