Steph Curry Is Known for Two Things: His Three Point Shot and Chewing His Mouthguard
Published May 20 2022, 4:49 p.m. ET
Since May 18, the Golden State Warriors have been battling it out on the court with the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors are leading the series 1-0, with Game 2 taking place at the Chase Center on Friday, May 20.
Ahead of the Game 2, Warriors and Mavs fans are gearing up to cheer on their teams. However, many Warriors fans can't help but wonder why superstar point guard Steph Curry constantly chews his mouthguard. Keep reading for all the details!
Why does Steph Curry chew his mouthguard?
It's a known fact that Steph Curry is one of the greatest basketball players anyone has ever seen. However, over the past few years, NBA fans have started noticing that the two-time MVP has quite a strange habit. He chews his mouthguard.
In August 2015, the three-time NBA champion appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and spoke about why he wears a mouthguard in the first place while also revealing how he developed the chewing habit.
"I got elbowed in college, my junior year, and busted my lip open," Steph said. "So, I wore a mouthpiece after that every single game, and then, every year, it's gotten farther and farther away from my teeth." Now, regarding the chewing habit, Steph told Jimmy Kimmel that he chews on it "like crazy," noting that it calms him down, especially at the free-throw line.
As expected, many people find this habit absolutely disgusting, including Steph's own mother, Sonya. In March 2016, she told Sports Illustrated that she's "given up" on trying to get him to stop.
"I’ve made my peace with it. It’s never going to change," Sonya said, noting that "he still bites his fingernails. He flicks his nose, from all his allergies. And the mouthguard."
However, we can't just ignore the stats! There are stats that show Steph shoots better when chewing his mouthguard.
In May 2015, the Wall Street Journal reported that Steph shoots better free throws when chewing his mouthguard. Per the report, he made 92 percent of his free throws attempts when chewing on the mouthguard, compared to 89 percent when he didn't.