Night Night: Stephen Curry's 50-point Game 7
The 6th Annual Awards
- Best Photography
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
On April 30, 2023 in Sacramento, CA, after making a layup to become the first player in NBA history to score 50 points in a Game 7, Stephen Curry glanced over to the crowd where a Warriors fan in a sea of Kings fans (in Stephen's line of sight and donning a Curry jersey) happened to be celebrating with Curry's signature, game-clinching celebration: the "Night Night."
How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?
Thinking back to this moment as a social team, there is so much to process. The game was on national television. The winner was advancing to play the Los Angeles Lakers. Curry set a then-record for points in a Game 7, and the play itself was an incredible display of his creativity and skill. Not only were we at the Warriors trying to manage all of that information and deliver the content to our fans, so was nearly every sports outlet in sports media. All of those factors make the photo we're submitting that much more impactful. By owning it outright, it was not living on a photo server for others to use, rather we had one little bit of exclusivity in an otherwise commoditized space. Because of this, our photo was shared by nearly every other sports outlet on social media immediately (with credit to the @warriors account) after being posted. Bleacher Report's post on Instagram generated 557K likes, and a treatment of the still photo after the highlight of the play from NBA on ESPN's Instagram generated 532K likes.
Objective
Our typical social media coverage of live events relies on photographers from the NBA to provide most of our high-res imagery. Due to the proximity of the playoff series in Sacramento and the importance of a Game 7, we were able to send an additional member of our social team--Coordinater Chenxi Zhao--to cover the game. Chenxi is a skilled photographer, and was the only photographer in the right place at the right time to capture this iconic moment.
Strategy & Execution
The Golden State Warriors came into the 2023 NBA Playoffs as the defending NBA Champions, but not as favorites to repeat. A season full of fits and starts resulted in the Warriors reaching the No. 6 seed, setting the stage for a series with their upstart neighbors in NorCal, the No. 3 seed Sacramento Kings, whose faithful fanbase had been waiting 17 years for a playoff series. The Warriors fought back after losing the first two games of the series on the road in Sacramento setting the tone for what was to become a dramatic Game 7 in the raucus Golden 1 Center. The series was full of drama, discourse on social media, and two talented teams giving their all. It also featured a record-setting performace from Stephen Curry that set social media ablaze. Our social team strives to be the best basketball storytellers on the planet by owning the moments that matter to our fans. Thanks to this iconic photo from Chenxi, we stood out from the rest of the crowd and delivered the content our fans wanted.
Organizations
- Golden State Warriors
Links
Credits
Daniel Pedroza
Sr. Director, Social Media
Golden State Warriors
Chenxi Zhao
Coordinator, International Social Media
Golden State Warriors
Zachary Gayer
Sr. Manager, Social Media
Golden State Warriors
Sissi Feng
Sr. Manager, International Social Media
Golden State Warriors
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 6, 2024 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.
