Steve Ballmer needed Stephen Curry’s opinion on which sort of popcorn should be served at the Clippers new Intuit Dome.
Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
While most fans know Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors as the greatest shooter in NBA history and the face of the league’s three-point revolution, there’s another side of Curry that flies under the radar, which is his passion for popcorn. His obsession with the buttery snack has gotten so bad that in 2019 he released his meticulous, unbiased power ranking of every NBA arena’s popcorn.
On a scale of one to five, with one being the lowest and five being the highest, Curry ranked the 29 different arenas based on the following categories: freshness, saltiness, crunchiness, butter, and presentation. To Ballmer, and presumably the Buss family’s surprise, the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers shared arena ranked dead last compiling a score of 10/25.
The Clippers’ popcorn dilemma
Knowing Curry’s next-level expertise as a popcorn connoisseur, he agreed to help the Clippers serve the best-tasting butter popcorn in the NBA. As per the LA Times, Curry reportedly tried ten different options and told them what the best popcorn should always have: “It should have a crunch, it has to be a butterfly shape, and it should melt in your mouth,” Curry said.
Of the different options, the popcorn that ultimately won Curry over was a butterfly shaped popcorn from Nebraska. By involving Curry in the popcorn selection process, the Intuit Dome created more buzz by having a Curry-approved snack inside the arena. “Steph picked the final popcorn,” Ballmer said. “So, if you don’t like it, people have to blame Steph!”