NBA

Why did Steph Curry give Damion Lee a NBA ring?

The Golden States Warriors star was back after injury but before getting his shooting arm in action, he had a duty to perform for the Suns man.

Cary EdmondsonUSA TODAY Sports

Fans, as well as his coach and teammates, had been waiting for this moment for some time. It was the return to action of three-point superstar Stephen Curry for the Golden State Warriors following a long lay-off due to injury. The matchup to welcome him back was against the Phoenix Suns, and the expected script was not adhered to.

Curry not as hot as the Suns

Despite their own roster problems, especially given that the Dubs’ line-up was looking back to something more familiar, the Suns took the game on and saw a scoreboard reading 125-113 in their favour come the final buzzer. One of their own stars was Damion Lee, who scored 22 points and handed off seven rebounds. And it was Lee who was involved in a touching moment before tip off with Curry.

The two men, if you didn’t know, are brothers-in-law, and ahead of the clash, it was Curry who handed over a championship ring to his opponent. But why?

The Suns’ “trifecta”

Well, in a short pre-game ceremony, Lee was given the reward for his involvement in last season’s championship run, then being part of the victorious Warriors. And his coach, Monty Williams, spoke after the evening had been concluded.

I just thought it was a special night all the way around,” Williams said, referring to the ring ceremony as well as the win and Lee’s performance. “That’s a trifecta if I ever heard of one.

“It’s obvious a big win for us having whatever you want to call it happen to us the past few weeks but collectively we had a connection and a spirit about us tonight, even when they cut it to six,” he continued.

Curry, for his part, saw his return from an 11-game absence with a partially dislocated left shoulder end with a 24-point haul.

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