Why Stephen Curry wears a full shooting sleeve on one arm during Warriors games

Jun 25, 2023

The Warriors claimed the last guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference, earning the No. 6 seed on the final day of the regular season.

Despite finishing with one of the worst road records in the NBA — going 11-30 away from Chase Center — the defending champions are set for a first-round matchup with the No. 3 seed Kings.

NBA PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Kings vs. Warriors

Stephen Curry's play hasn't dropped off one bit, averaging 29.4 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds while shooting a blistering 42.7 percent from 3.

If you're tuning into a Warriors game for the first time in a while, you might recognize that the superstar guard is rocking a new look, donning a full sleeve on his left arm.

Why does Curry wear the sleeve and has it affected his shooting? The Sporting News has answers below.

Back in December, Curry suffered a left shoulder injury while reaching in for a steal in a contest against the Pacers.

Steph went to the locker room after hurting his shoulder.Hope he's alright. pic.twitter.com/hnvksq7pTi

He tried to shake it off but immediately went to the bench and, eventually, the locker room. He was later diagnosed with a "left shoulder subluxation" but avoided the need for surgery.

The left shoulder injury brought a halt to his red-hot start to the season, averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals on .500/.434/.919 shooting splits over his first 26 games.

Curry was forced to miss 11 games with the shoulder ailment and upon his return, the two-time MVP donned a new look that turned heads. Curry hadn't typically worn a shooting sleeve but once he came back, he was rocking a full sleeve — from his shoulder to his wrist — on his left arm.

Curry's shooting sleeve immediately became a hot-button topic — one that he addressed when The Athletic's Anthony Slater asked the star guard about his new accessory.

"It gives (his shoulder) support and keeps it warm. It allows me to feel composed, in terms of everything, trying to strengthen my shoulder. Keep it right.

"The fact that I don't want anything on my right arm, for like, the flow and the rhythm (as he makes his shooting motion) of shooting the ball. We tried pretty much everything when I was going through my workouts, coming back and that was the one," he said of the full sleeve.

"It looks wild but that was the one that felt the best in terms of giving my shoulder the right support and feel throughout the game."

Steph Curry on the purpose of the sleeve he’s wearing on his left shoulder and how it felt tonight pic.twitter.com/hJddgjFP7g— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 11, 2023

The sleeve clearly didn't affect the greatest shooter of all time, who went on to average 29.0 points on .488/.421/.911 shooting splits once he returned to the lineup.

The accessory appears to be a mainstay for Curry's in-game uniform for the remainder of this season.