Everyone remembers Steph Curry's iconic game-winning 3-pointer in the Warriors' thrilling win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 27, 2016.
But Curry already had a swagger when he nailed that shot in OKC during the Warriors' 73-win season. It was a game-winner during the previous season that changed the two-time NBA MVP's thinking on long-range buzzer-beaters.
"There was a game, I want to say the year before at home against Orlando," Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area's Kelenna Azubuike during an interview for the "Decade In The Bay" series. "We were down two. I came down and hit a pull-up three over Tobias Harris. That was the first time I realized I could be aggressive [and] thinking differently about those moments. I can go for daggers. It wasn't that deep but it was a risky shot, obviously, you miss, it's over. Against some teams, you can try to get to the foul line, try to get a two. I chose the risky thing and thankfully it worked out.
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"That led to the OKC game where, same mentality, it's just a natural progression just going through the reps and taking some chances, believing in yourself. Obviously not the first time I've shot from that distance. In practice or whatever, you work on it, but you got to have the audacity to take it."
That game-winner came against the Magic on Dec. 2, 2014, during the Warriors' run to their first NBA championship in 40 years.
With the Warriors trailing 97-95, Curry grabbed the rebound and raced the other way. When he got close to the 3-point line, he shook Harris and nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining, sending the raucous Oracle Arena crowd into a frenzy.
Golden State Warriors
While all Warriors fans and most NBA fans can remember exactly where they were when Curry hit the shot against the Thunder, he credits the "dagger" against the Magic in 2014 for flipping the switch for him.