Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has revealed that the team’s modern NBA dynasty under coach Steve Kerr owes part of its success to tactics inspired by Pep Guardiola’s famous tiki-taka style.
Since Kerr took over in 2014, the Warriors have captured NBA titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, establishing themselves as one of the most dominant teams in recent basketball history. Curry says that the foundation of their championship-winning offense was influenced by Guardiola’s principles of quick movement, precise passing, and creating constant pressure on opponents.
Speaking on the Mind the Game podcast alongside LeBron James and Steve Nash, Curry recounted how Kerr introduced the system during training camp. “He told us he just wanted to tweak how we create shots,” Curry said. “Then he showed us a clip of Barcelona playing tiki-taka and explained how the philosophy could help us: keep it simple, move constantly, and make the defense make multiple decisions on every possession so we could find the best shot.”
Curry admitted that it took some time for the Warriors to fully embrace this new style. “At first, it felt strange not to call plays and just let the ball dictate our positions,” he explained. “But eventually, we saw how effective it could be.”
Tiki-taka, a strategy built on short passes, continuous motion, and controlling the tempo of the game, brought remarkable success to both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, helping them win consecutive European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Curry believes that by applying the same principles of movement, spacing, and decision-making, the Warriors have been able to consistently generate high-quality scoring opportunities and dominate opponents on the court.
