OAKLAND, Calif.—Stephen Curry had options. He curled off a Kevin Durant screen in a recent Golden State Warriors game, and it became clear that Curry was probably going to score on that possession. The more interesting question was how.

He didn’t shoot a 3-pointer. He didn’t sneak around his defender for a layup. This player who personifies the modern era of basketball did something archaic: Stephen Curry took a mid-range jump shot.

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