Despite having been a major force on the NBA court for over 15 years now, Stephen Curry has never had the chance to take his talents to the Olympic stage. That is set to change soon, as the 36-year-old will make his Olympic debut in Team USA’s matchup against Serbia. From the training camp in Vegas to the exhibition games held in Abu Dhabi and London, Curry has come to learn how a game on the international stage can be different from a domestic court. This change is something that may take some more time for the star to adjust to.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports, Stephen Curry discussed setting the tone for himself and his team during the 2024 Paris Olympics. On the NBA court, the player has established himself as a four-time champion, the all-time leader in three-pointers, and an all-rounder. In Paris, however, the rules and regulations of Olympic basketball present challenges, such as different court dimensions and variations in the ball, that he has had to get accustomed to.

“For sure,” said Curry when asked whether he has felt the need to adjust to the new differences. “You talked about muscle memory and I know where I am in relation to the line on NBA courts and have a certain relation to that, a certain familiarity. It’s a little bit different. Or has been, I should say. When you’re toeing the line you might shoot a couple long, just because you’re not used to it.”

The difficulty faced by Curry in adjusting to the changes was evident during the pre-Olympic exhibition series. In the five games that Curry participated in, the three-point leader could only make 14 out of 37 shots from long range. His average three-point percentage stood at 37.8%, much lower than that of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Jrue Holiday. The matchup against Germany saw Curry at his lowest point, managing to make only 1 three-pointer out of 7 attempts. While the player was still efficient on the scoring front, seeing his ultimate weapon not being so effective on the international stage was a matter of concern.

Despite Curry’s struggle, the Team USA roster, who have competed against him countless times on the NBA court, hold on to their faith. Head coach Steve Kerr, who also serves as Curry’s coach with the Golden State Warriors, expressed confidence in the player by stating, “I think we’re past that now having played five games already, practices and just getting used to the dimensions on the court. End of the day, you try not to think about it at all. It’s wherever you catch and shoot it, you got confidence to knock it down. I’m going into the competition with that mindset, for sure”.

The matchup against Serbia will be the first test for Stephen Curry to determine whether he has gotten accustomed to the rules and regulations when playing on the Olympic court.

What are the rules and scoring changes that Stephen Curry and Co need to bear in mind during the 2024 Paris Olympics?

For players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the most experienced Olympians on the squad, there won’t be much to learn when playing in the Olympics. For others like Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry, getting accustomed to the new rules and regulations, from the dimensions of the court to the type of ball used, will be necessary.

According to FIBA, the court on which the upcoming games will be held will be 91’ 10” x 49’2.5 in size. This will be much smaller than that of an NBA court, which carries a typical dimension of 94×50. In the NBA, the games are divided into four quarters with a runtime of 12 minutes per quarter. In the Olympics, however, the time is reduced to 10 minutes.

Speaking of factors that would affect Stephen Curry during the matchups, it is important to mention the changes to the three-point line. For international games, the arc length is shorter (6.75 meters with 6.60 meters on the baseline) compared to NBA courts (7.24 meters with 6.70 meters on the baseline). Curry will have to remember that rival players from other countries will have ample time to defend and strategize while staying close to them in the paint. This is a significant contrast to the NBA, where defending players must leave the paint within three seconds when not actively guarding a player.