Famous FC Barcelona Tactic Influenced Warriors, Steph Curry Says
The Golden State Warriors have established themselves as a modern dynasty under the leadership of Stephen Curry. They won NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, becoming almost unstoppable when performing at their peak.
Curry credits much of their success to the influence of head coach Steve Kerr, who joined the team in 2014. Kerr introduced changes to the Warriors' offense inspired by FC Barcelona's tiki-taka style, focusing on letting the ball dictate the game's flow. This approach emphasizes quick ball movement and fluid positioning, forcing defenses into difficult choices.
Steve Kerr’s Basketball Philosophy
During training camp, Kerr shared a clip of Barcelona’s tiki-taka and explained:
“I just wanna make a couple of tweaks to the way that we're creating shots. So, once we got in training camp, he showed a clip of Barcelona tiki-taka, and he was talking about that as a philosophy of how we're gonna create shots, how we're gonna keep things simple, make the defense have to make a million decisions in a possession, so that you can find the right shot.”
Curry added that adapting to this style meant learning to be comfortable without calling set plays and allowing the ball to guide player movement.
Impact on Warriors' Playstyle
- Encourages constant ball movement.
- Focuses on fluid player positioning.
- Makes opposing defenses work harder by increasing decision-making pressure.
- Supports creating high-quality shot opportunities.
This philosophy has played a key role in shaping the Warriors' dynamic and effective offensive approach.
Author's summary: Steve Kerr’s adaptation of FC Barcelona’s tiki-taka inspired style revolutionized the Warriors’ offense, emphasizing fluid ball movement and positioning to outsmart defenses and create optimal shots.