golden state warriors 3 point challenge (Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account)
WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — The Golden State Warriors‘ intrasquad 3-Point Challenge, a single-elimination tournament that tips its hat to March Madness, consisting of sixteen players and coaches, which we at LetsGoWarriors.com are affectionately dubbing (no pun intended) #DubBracket, got underway today after practice at the Warriors training facility in downtown Oakland.
The matchups are as follows:
Certain players lost play-in games this past Wednefsday, such as David Lee. As Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reported:
While Iguodala was inactive during Wednesday’s practice, Bogut and O’Neal participated in lighthearted “play-in” games for the Warriors’ three-point shooting bracket challenge. Bogut won his competition against an assistant coach, but O’Neal and power forward David Lee each lost to assistants.
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“The winner of our game had Steph (Curry next), so basically it’s like Albany and Mount St. Mary’s, and the winner gets the Gators,” joked Lee, an alum of NCAA Tournament top-seed Florida. “I was probably better off losing now, rather than facing the embarrassment of going against maybe the greatest three-point shooter to ever touch a basketball.”
As we walked into the gym for media availability this morning, Jordan Crawford was busy in a head-to-head three-point matchup against Warriors assistant coach Brian Scalabrine. Crawford eventually eliminated Scalabrine.
Then Jermaine O’Neal and Steve Blake embarked in a five-shots-per-station at each of the five stations that one would be familiar with, with NBA All-Star Three-Point Contests.
O’Neal, famous for shooting with a hitch in his release, displayed the same form and actually won the middle station but was shortly thereafter eliminated by Blake.
After that, Harrison Barnes defeated assistant coach Lindsey Hunter. After that, Stephen Curry ousted assistant coach John Fahey. And finally, Andre Iguodala bested assistant trainer Drew Yoder.
Next up: head coach Mark Jackson versus play-in winner Andrew Bogut.
This after winning three-point shooting contests while on a recent road trip in both New York and Indiana. Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group had the report:
…a day later, Jackson was smiling about taking down a player he considered the best shooter on the planet.
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“I’m retiring on top,” said Jackson, who shot 33 percent from behind the arc as a player.
Still, Curry managed to coax his Coach into the #DubBracket, as Leung later reported as well:
After Mark Jackson easily took down Stephen Curry in a 3-point shooting contest two weeks ago while on a practice court at Indiana, the Warriors coach had said he would retire on top having bested the top shooter on the planet.
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But now, Curry might get a chance at revenge after releasing the bracket for a 3-point Championship tournament the Warriors will hold among players and staff members.
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“We got Coach out of retirement,” Curry said Tuesday. “I was giving him so much crap. He wants to take that one victory in Indiana to the grave with him. I can’t let that happen.”
So it was then time for head coach Mark Jackson to make his grand entrance this morning. This was the same competitor who had only the night before in the pre-game presser — preceding the game against the Milwaukee Bucks — announced that he might not participate.
“Breaking news,” Jackson said, “I’m not really sure if I’m going to be in it because last night playing pickup ball, (I) jammed my finger pretty nicely. I’m not sure if I’m a no-excuse coach.”
LetsGoWarriors.com had the opportunity to get Curry’s opinion of the matter after the Bucks game last night.
“He says he’s old school,” Curry said, “I say, that’s not really an old school approach. He’s kind of announcing it wearing tape on his thumb during games, a very suspect tape job to begin with. So it’s very odd that our three-point bracket’s going on right now and this mysterious injury’s popped up. I think he knows who’s hunting for him in this bracket.”
Nevertheless, Jackson this morning appeared from the locker room this morning and ran towards the far court where the competition was being held, amidst a chorus of applause by the Warriors’ players and coaches.
The applause turned into hilarity as Jackson tore off his breakway sweats to reveal old school short shorts.
Thankfully to all in attendance, he re-buttoned his sweats and faced Bogut in full practice coaching attire.
Bogut came out on fire. He forced an overtime session at the first station, after swishing three of his shots and tying Jackson’s score. However, Jackson would eventually win, outlasting the seven-footer.
“Against the trainer’s advice, Johan (Wang) told me ruptured capsule in my thumb,” Jackson said shortly after his victory, “something on the inside just said go ahead and handle your business. Memories of Willis Reed running in the tunnel and I look forward to five days of rest now.”
“Hand down, pants down?” a reporter asked.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jackson acknowledged.
Stay tuned for Round Two.
Note: We’re still checking on who won between Draymond Green and Marreese Speights.
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