It’s almost ridiculous that the “Stephen Curry is aging” talk still finds oxygen. Sure, technically, the years are adding up. But watch him play, and it still leaves you dumbfounded. The shots, the confidence, the audacity of it all. Prime or not, Curry keeps finding new ways to make jaws hit the floor. Friday night at Chase Center was another reminder.

Returning after a five-game absence, Curry announced himself in the most Steph way possible, by drilling his now-famous tunnel shot before the game against the Timberwolves.

Ayesha Curry also celebrated the shot by sharing the clip on her IG story, writing 3 simple words: “It’s like that.”

The ball started in the tunnel, not on the court. Stephen Curry took a couple of steps forward, flicked it with one hand, and sent it flying toward the basket on the far end of the arena. Seconds later, it dropped clean through the hoop.

Curry didn’t celebrate. He didn’t even look back, just turned around and jogged straight into the locker room, as if draining a near full-court shot was part of the routine.

That routine has history. Back at Oracle Arena, Curry built a pregame tradition by launching shots from the tunnel, already a ridiculous distance at around 52 feet. When the Warriors moved to Chase Center, the challenge only grew.

The new tunnel sits even farther back, extending the attempt to a length longer than an NBA court. And somehow, that’s still not out of his range.

For most players, it would be a gimmick. For Curry, it’s just another rep.

Fans weren’t the only ones stunned. WNBA star Caitlin Clark reacted to the shot, posting it to her X account: “This has to be AI.”

This wasn’t a one-off either. Just last season, before a game against the Clippers, Curry broke the internet with another tunnel heave, a one-handed fling estimated to be over 100 feet, longer than the 94-foot court itself, and released from an angle that made it even harder.

For years now, his warmups have ended with these kinds of moments, dating back to the Warriors’ title runs in the 2010s.

Different arena, longer distance, same result. But his shots were not enough to secure the Warriors a win against the Wolves.

Warriors fall short in Stephen Curry’s return

If the tunnel shot was any clue, Curry was right back in form. He didn’t look like someone coming off an injury. Back in the lineup after missing five games with a left quad issue, he moved freely, shot with confidence, and poured in 39 points in just 32 minutes. There was no minute restriction and no visible rust.

“I’m feeling great, had a good rehab week,” he said Thursday.

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He knocked down six threes, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter alone, and briefly pushed the Warriors ahead with a clutch late triple.

But even with Curry carrying the offense, the Warriors couldn’t close. Timberwolves leaned into their size and second-chance chances, with Rudy Gobert controlling the paint for 24 points and 14 rebounds. Julius Randle added 27, and the Wolves kept scoring inside whenever it mattered without Draymond Green or Al Horford to bolster Golden State’s interior defense.

Curry nearly swung the game defensively by forcing an eight-second violation late in the fourth, but a Timberwolves challenge overturned the call, flipping the momentum.

That opening was all Minnesota needed. Former Warrior Donte DiVincenzo buried a late three with 27 seconds left, stretching the lead and sealing a 127–120 loss for Golden State.

The Warriors fought back multiple times, even retaking the lead late behind Curry’s flurry, but the combination of Minnesota’s size, timely buckets, and composure down the stretch proved too much.