Why Stephen Curry-Klay Thompson duo are called ‘Splash Brothers

The Golden State Warriors dynasty has, in the last decade, overseen one of the most consistent eras of dominance in recent NBA memory. The San Francisco team has lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy thrice in the last 8 years, with a chance to seal it yet again in 2022- if they can win just another of the remaining two playoff games against the Boston Celtics. The fact that the team has also appeared in 2 other playoff finals in this span merely highlights further the astronomical heights that this roster has scaled together. 

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During this period, one of the deadliest weapons in the team’s armoury has been the presence of sharpshooter duo- Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The two, who are now both NBA All-Stars, play as guards and are widely considered among the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, as well as the greatest backcourts. They have set a number of records for three-pointers scored, both as individuals and as a duo, and it is this prolificacy that has given them the status of living legends and also earned them the nickname ‘the Splash Brothers’. 

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But how and where did this nickname originate? 

It all started back in 2012, during Thompson and Curry’s second season together. It was a regular season game and the two were up to their usual tricks- combining for 7 three-pointers against the Charlotte Bobcats in the first half itself. 

This led to a writer for the Warriors website- Brian Witt sharing a tweet with the hashtag #splashbrothers from the official Twitter account of the team- to pay homage to the constant ‘splash’ sounds from the ball finding the net from Curry and Thompson’s relentless three-point shots. 

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It was a particularly inventive bit of wordplay from Witt too, as it was carved out from the name given to another illustrious San Francisco duo from 1989- Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire- sluggers for Oakland Athletics, who were popularly called the ‘Bash Brothers’. Due to this, and of course the duo’s prodigious talent, the name immediately resonated and the Warriors encouraged Witt to use it in his posts! 

Today, Curry stands atop as the all-time leading three-pointer in NBA history, while his partner Thompson isn’t lagging behind at all, having himself scored the 18th most three-pointers in all of NBA history, and becoming only the 3rd player to score 100 career three-pointers in NBA Finals after Curry and LeBron. 

The Splash Brothers have overseen a golden era for the Warriors, winning them 3 NBA titles since 2015, after a lengthy drought of 40 years, and they may still win another one by the end of this week. The two had only begun on their journey when they were labelled the Splash Brothers for the first time, but their staggering career ever since has immortalised this name forever, and has only served to add to their legend for times to come.