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NBA Fans Debut Nickname for Warriors' New Steph Curry-Buddy Hield Backcourt

There's a new sharpshooting combo in the Bay Area.

Tom Dierberger

Warriors guard Stephen Curry controls the ball against Kings guard Buddy Hield during a game in October 2021.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry controls the ball against Kings guard Buddy Hield during a game in October 2021. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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The Golden State Warriors said goodbye to the Splash Brothers era this week, as Klay Thompson boarded his boat and cruised out of the Bay Area to land with the Dallas Mavericks.

Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy didn't wait long to fill in the shooting void left by Thompson's departure, as the Warriors acquired sharpshooter Buddy Hield on Thursday in a sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Splash Brothers—Curry and Thompson—forever changed the way NBA basketball is played by unleashing an unprecedented volume of shots beyond the perimeter over their decade-plus together. Entering the 2024-25 season, Curry is the all-time leader in NBA history in three-point makes with 3,747, while Thompson ranks sixth with 2,481.

Shortly after the Warriors acquired Hield on Thursday, NBA fans tried out a new nickname for Curry and his new backcourtmate—the Splash Buddies.

Hield doesn't boast quite the amount of career accolades as Thompson, but he can still shoot the basketball. Over eight seasons, Hield has drained 1,924 three-pointers on a 40% clip. In 2023-24, Hield shot 38.6% from deep while appearing in a league-high 84 games for the Indiana Pacers and 76ers.

Watching the Warriors without Thompson on the floor next season will take some getting used to. But Curry will still have a teammate splashing triples alongside him in the 31-year-old Hield.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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