Stephen Curry's trainer bats for Warriors legend in Sabrina Ionescu duel: "My heart, brain and bank account have to go with Steph" (Exclusive)
After he heard that Stephen Curry’s teammates have given mixed thoughts on whether he will beat Sabrina Ionescu in a 3-point shooting contest. Curry’s trainer let out a hearty laugh. Brandon Payne then chuckled some more before offering his own prediction on how the Curry-Ionescu matchup will play out during NBA All-Star weekend on Saturday.
“It's going to be really, really close. But the man that pays me is the guy that I’m going with,” Payne said, laughing. “That certainly is not a statement on Sabrina not being great. She certainly is. But my brain, my heart and my bank account have to go with Steph.”
Payne chose Curry for reasons beyond his personal bias and wanting to continue his business relationship through Accelerate Basketball. Before he officially became the NBA’s all-time leader for most 3s, Curry also won the NBA All-Star 3-point contest twice (2015, 2021).
“He’s been on this stage several times. I think that’s a separator,” Payne said. “I say I’ll go with Stephen, but I would not be surprised in the least if Sabrina found a way to get it done.”
Payne spoke with Sportskeeda about the upcoming 3-point contest, the impact it could make, how Curry prepares for 3-point contests during All-Star weekend and how he has fared in his 15th NBA season.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
Steph Curry's edge over Sabrina Ionescu and Warriors teammate's scoop on NBA All-Star 3-point shootout winner
What are you anticipating for this 3-point contest?
Payne: “Just to watch. I’m so fortunate to get to watch him all the time. But to watch two of the best shooters in the world go head-to-head, I think that’s going to be exciting. I think Sabrina certainly has cemented herself in that conversation as one of the games’ best shooters. She deserves the opportunity and the spotlight that she’s getting here with this unique contest.”
What do you think of this idea?
Payne: “I thought it was a really interesting idea. I think we have a unique opportunity here to continue to prop up women’s basketball and continue to spotlight the things that are so good about it and the skill level that the women in the WNBA possess. It’s a really unique opportunity to do that. That’s something that’s really important to Stephen. You can see that with our Team Curry grassroots program. We put such a big emphasis on our girls' program. It has been an outstanding program for several years now producing McDonald’s All-Americans. It’s something that is important to him. But it’s also something that is important to our sport and to our game to recognize the skill level that these ladies have.”
On that note, what big-picture impact do you think this competition will produce?
Payne: “I hope it brings more eyeballs and more attention to the WNBA. I think it’s a league that certainly deserves that and has earned that. With Stephen doing this with Sabrina, who is obviously one of the best players in that league, it’s going to furthermore attention to the incredible skill level that is possessed in that league.”
This is part of his day-to-day anyway, but what has Steph’s preparation been leading into the 3-point contest?
Payne: “I don’t think you’re going to do a whole lot different other than you might spend a day or two grabbing basketballs off the rack. When you get into the 3-point contest, that is what is unique about it. In our workouts, he’s usually catching it off the dribble or he’s catching passes that are thrown right to him. So having it off the rack presents a unique thing because you have to create rhythm with getting it off the rack cleanly and getting it into your shot. I think that’s actually a little bit tougher than I think most people realize. To be able to reach and get your eyes to the rim quickly and get into your shot with rhythm, that’s not as easy as it is when you catch it off the pass or off the bounce.”
What makes that more difficult?
Payne: “For one thing, with the way we work with catching the basketball, we really try to get our shooters to catch the basketball within a strike zone. You kind of look shoulder-to-shoulder and head-to-head. It’s kind of like a rectangle. As a shooter, you want to move your body to where you’re catching the ball in that strike zone as much as you can. We try to really have our players work not to catch the ball outside of their bodies. So when you are shooting off the rack, you are reaching outside of your body to pick the basketball up. It’s an uncommon position to start your shot by starting to reach outside your body. You can’t pick it up right in front of you. Certainly off the dribble, we always talk about getting the ball off the bounce. We try to meet in the middle with our hands – our left hand and our right hand. So we’re meeting at the belly button and going up from there. Just reaching outside of your body to pick up a basketball is just something that is a little bit unnatural for a shooter.”
Beyond the intricacies of the shooting rack, what else can Steph take away from his two wins in the 3-point contest (2015, 2021) that can apply to his head-to-head against Sabrina?
Payne: “You just know what it feels like to be the one person that is shooting with everybody in the building watching you and everyone on TV watching you. It’s quite different to be out there by yourself when normally you’re out there with nine other guys and a few referees. In this case, it’s just you and some rebounders that nobody knows. It’s a little bit of a situation from that standpoint. Other than that? The 3-point line is kind of like the movie, Hoosiers. The 3-point line is the same as it is in the games and the baskets are always 10-feet high. You just go out there and try to make some shots.”
You always have unique drills for Steph to get his competitive juices going and to mimic in-game moments. What parts of his off-season work can apply to the 3-point contest?
Payne: “We’re working against time and score all the time. We’re working against the clock. In that part of the contest, he should feel right at home. Everything we pretty much do has a time limit. He’s constantly working against the clock. We’re also putting pressure on him. A lot of the drills that we do, we don’t allow back-to-back misses. Sometimes, we don’t allow any misses without starting over. Those things I’m sure he can draw upon to feel comfortable in this contest.”
How does Steph’s shooting compare in his 15th season compare to his other seasons? (Curry is averaging 28 points while shooting 46.4% from the field and 42.1% from 3).
Payne: “It’s a continuation of greatness. Some of the type of shots have been a little bit different just because every year presents a new challenge from a new teammate and personnel standpoint. So some of the shots are newer and maybe a little bit more unique compared to some of the last seasons. But just like every great player like him, they find a way to adapt and they find a way to create success. That’s not only for themselves but for their teammates as well. Obviously from a wins and losses standpoint, he’s probably feeling better about things. Individually, he doesn’t think about that much. But I can afford to think about that. Individually, we should be very pleased.”
In what ways have his shots been different this season?
Payne: “Mixing in some younger guys that are feeling their way in the NBA, they’re doing a really good job of it. But some of the movement, patterns and some of the flow offensively is a little bit different. Some of the late pin-in actions and some of the late ball reversals that had been there in the past have been a little bit fewer. It’s not only just with younger guys playing. Draymond [Green] has missed a ton of time. A lot of times, he’s the guy that’s delivering those passes. I think there has been more where Steph has had to create more on his own than he has had to in the past. I think there also have been elements that his volume has to be higher because they really need him to score. That has created some unique situations for him that maybe we hadn’t seen quite as much in the past.”
Even with that, Steph’s efficiency has still been high. Beyond Steph being Steph, what else has been key to that?
Payne: “It’s just how great he is. I try to tell people all the time, ‘Don’t take for granted the greatness that you’re witnessing here.’ Make sure you’re taking the time to stop and enjoy it and really see it for what it is. He has gone through different team situations with different personnel and groupings. His role has expanded, changed and morphed over the years. At every turn, he always finds a way to be great. He always does it in a way that is not disruptive to team chemistry. He also does it in a way that is not disruptive to opportunities for anybody else. That is something that is truly great.”
From seeing Sabrina from afar, what makes her such a great shooter?
Payne: “She’s not only a great shooter. She’s a great scorer. I always talk about the importance of comfort, and how that leads to confidence. She is somebody who is very comfortable with her mechanics. They are very repeatable. She is so confident. She also possesses the creativity to create opportunities for herself as well. I really enjoy watching her. I think we’ve got another young lady coming to the WNBA in a year or two with Caitlin Clark that is similar in some ways. She will also be a lot of fun to watch.”
Steph’s teammates have seemed split on who they think will win the 3-point contest between Steph and Sabrina. Who’s your pick?
Payne: (laughs) “I think it’s going to be really, really close. But the man that pays me is the guy that I’m going with (laughs). That certainly is not a statement on Sabrina not being great. She certainly is. But my brain, my heart and my bank account have to go with Steph.”
Aside from your invoices, where do you give Steph the edge?
Payne: “He’s been on this stage several times. I think that’s a separator. I say I’ll go with Stephen, but I would not be surprised in the least if Sabrina found a way to get it done.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.