Steph Curry reveals how Barcelona's tiki-taka inspired Warriors' offence

Updated: 23 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Steph Curry reveals how Barcelona's tiki-taka inspired Warriors' offence

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Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has revealed that the team's revolutionary offensive philosophy under Steve Kerr was heavily inspired by Barcelona's famous tiki-taka system.

Since Kerr's arrival in 2014, the Warriors have lifted four NBA titles (2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022), with their free-flowing offence and selfless ball movement redefining the modern game.

Speaking on the Mind the Game podcast with LeBron James and Steve Nash, Curry explained how Kerr encouraged the team to "let the ball dictate the game" - a direct nod to the rhythmic, possession-based football perfected by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.

[Kerr] was like, "I just wanna make a couple of tweaks to how we’re creating shots."

When we got to training camp, he showed a clip of Barcelona tiki-taka and talked about it as a philosophy; how we're gonna create shots, keep things simple, and make the defence make a million decisions in one possession so we can find the right shot.

Curry admitted that adjusting to Kerr's fluid, read-and-react offence took time.

It took a minute to be comfortable with not calling plays and just letting the ball dictate where you're supposed to be.

From Football Pitches to Basketball Courts

Kerr, who spent years as a player and executive observing elite sports cultures around the world, saw parallels between Barcelona's possession-based system and the kind of offensive rhythm he envisioned for the Warriors.

Just like Barcelona's fluid interchanges, Kerr wanted the Warriors' attack to rely on spacing, timing, and shared responsibility - rather than isolation plays.

Every player was encouraged to touch the ball, move without it, and make decisions in rhythm.

The result? A style of play that changed basketball.

Golden State's ball movement, off-ball screens, and selfless passing - led by Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green - produced one of the most beautiful and effective offences ever seen, mirroring the elegance and precision of Guardiola's Barcelona.

The 'Beautiful Game' Philosophy

The Warriors' offensive scheme became known as "The Beautiful Game" - a nod to both football and their own artistry on the hardwood.

Their movement-heavy style led to four NBA championships in eight seasons, rewriting how teams approached modern offence.

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