and Yu Yang. They will play a Japanese team, Misaki Matsut

This story appears in ESPN The Magazines October 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!IN 2007, WHILE?trapping on a press, Davidson sophomore Stephen Curry took an elbow in the kisser from The Citadels Jon Brick. A decade later, Brick, a product designer in San Francisco, recalls the play that launched the biggest story in NBA oral history since MJs tongue ...We were taught to rip through the trap with the elbow and shoulder, said Brick. When Curry came up, I did the move and caught him right in the mouth. I never thought about the play becoming a key role in anything; thats just basketball.?Steph got seven stitches at halftime.Chews WiselyLots of athletes wear mouthguards, but Curry is the master of mastication. Sure, chewing them is disgusting, but its crucial to his game.Steph uses about 12 mouthguards per season, swapping out every 6 to 10 games.70,000,000: Sport Sciences estimated number of bacterial microbes on Currys mouthguard, seven times more per square inch than on a kitchen sponge.According to The Wall Street Journal, Curry shoots free throws better when hes chewing on his mouthguard. Over the past two regular seasons, he made 92% of his free throws when chewing on the mouthguard, compared to 89% when he kept the mouthguard in place. He also increased the amount of time he chewed on his mouthpiece to 85% of his 15-16 free throw tries--up 21% from 14-15.That ThrowGame 6, 2016 NBA Finals: the mouthguards shining moment. Fouling out with four minutes left, Steph sent his mouthguard flying, inadvertently hitting the courtside son of a Cavs owner. We asked Sport Science to analyze Stephs final heave of the game. Lets just say: Were not sure how much saliva flew through the air, but thats about all we dont know.In 2.6 seconds, the time between the refs whistle and Currys windup, he could catch and release six 3-pointers.At peak angular velocity, Stephs arm rotated at 1,650 degrees per second during the throw--46 percent faster than LeBron James arm during a typical tomahawk jam.Steph threw his mouthguard at 49.4 mph--three times faster than the average dart thrown by a pro.3.18:?The lateral margin of error, in degrees, for Steph to hit that fan. Release half an inch to the left and hed have hit Kyrie Irving.Cult ClassicStephs mouthguard has taken on a life of its own off the court, taking over social media and making the rounds on late-night TV.There are at least 35 Twitter accounts dedicated to Currys mouthguard.Fam, Im a mouthguard.... How do I tweet without fingers! Lol- Currys Mouthguard? (@30s_mouthguard) April 28, 2015There have been a lot of trade rumors going on about me, I am currently committed to Stephs mouth. #nba- Currys mouth Guard (@RealMouthguard) June 26, 2016$3,190: The amount a used Curry mouthguard sold for at auction on Aug. 21. A fan allegedly found the piece, engraved with Currys name and number, near the Warriors bench after a game.$25,000: The estimated value of Currys Game 6 mouthguard by SCP Auctions, the same California-based auction house that sold the other mouthguard.Wholesale LeBron James Shoes . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Clearance LeBron James Shoes . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. https://www.cheapshoeslebronjames.com/ . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. LeBron James Shoes Outlet . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Cheap LeBron James Shoes . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami.RIO DE JANEIRO -- Chinas Olympic dominance in badminton will end in Rio de Janeiro.The nation swept all five gold medals at the 2012 London Games, but Chinas attempt to repeat that feat is over even before the gold medal rounds are set to begin Wednesday.In a major upset on Tuesday, London silver medalist Wang Yihan lost to P.V. Sindhu of India in the quarterfinals.In mixed doubles, Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying of Malaysia knocked out London silver medalists Xu Chen and Ma Jin of China. The Malaysians will play for gold against Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia, who beat Olympic champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei of China.In a womens doubles semifinal match, Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark defeated Chinese pair Tang Yuanting and Yu Yang. They will play a Japanese team, Misaki Matsutomo annd Ayaka Takahashi, in the final on Thursday.dddddddddddd.China still has hopes for medals, however.Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan defeated Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis of Britain in the mens doubles semifinals. They will play for gold Friday against Tan Wee Kiong and Goh V. Shem of Malaysia, who beat Chinese team Hong Wei and Chai Biao.In mens singles, many are watching top-ranked Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who has lost the last two Olympic finals to two-time champion Lin Dan of China. If both continue winning, the rivals will play in the semifinals.In womens singles, the favorites are top-ranked Carolina Marin of Spain and Li Xuerui, the defending Olympic champion from China. Both won easily Tuesday. ' ' '