Warriors star Stephen Curry and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes are two of the greatest players in the history of their respective sports.
So what happens when a basketball player trumps the efforts of a football player struggling on the court as a high school student?
It's pure comedy, but of course it also contains some first-rate analysis.
“He looks good — oh, he shoots with his whole body. I was just going to compliment him on his smooth footwork,” Curry told ESPN on Tuesday, after he'd just about finished reviewing Mahomes' warm-up highlights. “No, no, no. You wouldn't think that's Pat Mahomes there. Around the trees, that's what we call it, when he gets in the paint. He looks very calm. So his presence in the pocket seems pretty solid.”
.Follow Break down Patrick Mahomes Basketball movies 😮👀 pic.twitter.com/QzQe9jIiS2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 28, 2024
The 10-time All-NBA Golden State guard had no idea he was watching basketball tape of a younger Mahomes.
Mahomes' highlight scene caught Curry off guard because while the Chiefs superstar, like the Warriors' No. 30, is clearly good at playing the basketball and shooting the ball, Curry didn't fully appreciate the quarterback's dual athletic ability.
Patrick Mahomes is doing his best Steph imitation 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RdB31PY2qQ
— NBCS Warriors (@NBCSWarriors) July 9, 2022
Mahomes played for the varsity basketball team at Whitehouse High School in Texas from 2012-2013, averaging 19.9 points in 27 games. He excelled in every way.
During his time as a basketball player, Curry witnessed the highly skilled quarterbacks and was particularly impressed with Mahomes' playmaking ability.
“Yeah, I think it's his creativity, his double spin move and just his ability to always find little lanes to attack with his body,” Curry added. “He doesn't seem afraid to attack physically either, so his jump shot needs some work, but he's pretty well-rounded.”
As an NFL player, Mahomes isn't afraid of physical contact or confrontation, as he did when he light-heartedly challenged Curry's comments about his jump shot.
“But it goes in,” Mahomes emphasized in an interview with ESPN on Tuesday. “I mean, it goes in. It doesn't have to be pretty all the time. I'm not going to shoot it like Steph does.”
Curry continued to praise Mahomes' play and compared their thought processes in similar but different scenarios in their respective professional sports.
“It's like being trapped, [the ball] “You get out there and somehow get the ball to the open guy and let him do the rest of the work, but you always have options,” Curry added. “I think that's how Pat sees the game and I try to see it that way as a point guard. You always have the option to get the ball where you want to go.”
Mahomes would agree that his ability to see the field is unmatched.
And he enjoyed the “what if” element surrounding his basketball career.
“Everybody sees the arm angle, but they don't see me seeing the whole field, passing to the guy who can get the ball, moving up the field and all that stuff. I think that's just development as a point guard,” Mahomes concluded.
“If I hadn't stopped growing in eighth grade, I might have played basketball. Who knows.”
One thing is for sure: Curry and Mahomes always provide great entertainment, whether on the field, court or practice field.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk podcast
