NBA players give bold prediction for Steph Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu contest

NBA All-Star Weekend is upon us, and with it comes the highly-anticipated 3-Point Contest between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu. Players from around the NBA are heavily leaning in favor of one side.

Stephen Curry holds nearly every three-point shooting record in the NBA history books. He has the single-season record for makes (402) and occupies four of the top five spots on that list. Curry also has the most three-pointers for a career with 3,642, over 600 more than the next closest player.

Conversely, Sabrina Ionescu is considered one of the best long-distance shooters in the WNBA. She averaged a career-high 44.8 percent from three last season and also won the WNBA’s 3-Point Shootout. Ionescu set a new record (37) by surpassing Curry’s previous high mark of 31.

On the back of that, Curry and Ionescu began planning a way to go head-to-head in the event since men and women typically compete separately. The NBA openly welcomed this idea. In the lead-up, Ionescu has mentioned time and time again how thankful she is for Curry’s mentorship, “It’s a blessing to be in the same conversation as Steph Curry.”

Ionescu promised to shoot from the NBA three-point line — over a foot-and-a-half longer than the WNBA line — to prove she can defeat Curry no matter the distance. And NBA players are rallying around that belief.

NBA players pick Sabrina Ionescu over Steph Curry

Several stars around the league have chosen Ionescu as the winner, with most of them not giving the Golden State Warrior star a chance. Klay Thompson, Curry’s current teammate and fellow “Splash Brother,” even went with Ionescu when asked.

Thompson trolled Curry during his prediction, calling Ionescu “the Bay Area’s finest”, a moniker that Warriors fans typically bestow upon Steph. “Sabrina all day!” Thompson said with a cheeky smile.

Kyrie Irving offered up similar support for Ionescu, as well. Irving remarked, “I’m pulling for Sabrina. She’s got the record. She’s coming to defend her crown!”

Elsewhere, two NBA big men — Karl Anthony-Towns and Deandre Ayton — echoed this sentiment, with both adding their name to the long list of players siding with Ionescu this weekend.

Although seemingly everyone in the NBA is rooting against Curry, he claims the contest is already over. “There’s only one outcome, it’s that I win,” the multi-time NBA MVP said confidently.

The two sides share immense respect for one another, which inherently gets the competitive juices flowing ahead of their shootout at NBA All-Star Game Weekend. The jam-packed Indianapolis crowd is in store for a battle between a couple of heavyweights.