With iconic performances in the semifinal and gold medal games, Stephen Curry put his signature on the Paris Olympics. Of course, Curry topped off his signature performances with his signature celebration.
After draining his final dagger 3 in the gold medal game, Curry went with his signature “Night Night” celebration to signal the end of France’s chances to win gold. Once Team USA returned to its headquarters to celebrate winning gold, Curry added a Parisian twist to the signature phrase.
During his medal photo shoot and at the team hotel, Curry wore a hoodie reading “Nuit Nuit,” stylized with a graphic of the Eiffel Tower. Curry has now filed trademark applications for the phrase, according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben.
Here’s everything to know about the phrase, the merch and how the trademark came to be.
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Stephen Curry Nuit Nuit shirts, explained
As “nuit” means “night” in French, “Nuit Nuit” is a direct translation of “Night Night.”
Curry explained in a quick social media video with Rachel Nichols.
“Oh, Nuit Nuit — in France, we say that instead of ‘Night Night,'” Curry said. “I don’t know what else to say. I ain’t gotta say nothing else!”
Steph wearing a shirt postgame that says “night night” in French. 😂🥇👨🍳 pic.twitter.com/bA9WshwJXV
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 11, 2024
The hoodie Curry was wearing during postgame celebrations was designed by Mike Fogg, who shared his account of how the collaboration came about.
MORE: Why Stephen Curry’s Olympic debut came in 2024
“In English, it’s Night Night. In French, It’s Nuit Nuit. In any language, it means game over,” Fogg boldly stated.
“NUIT. NUIT.”
It feels impossible to describe this one. Back in June, I had an incredible opportunity to create a few custom clothing designs for @StephenCurry30 for this year’s Paris Olympics, a dream.
“Nuit Nuit” was born.⁰⁰In English, it’s Night Night. In French, It’s… pic.twitter.com/6iiUGDovdA
— Mike Fogg (@MikeFogg24) August 11, 2024
With Curry now filing for a trademark, there is an increased likelihood that fans will be able to purchase Curry-branded merchandise with the phrase. Whether or not it features Fogg’s design remains to be seen.
Stephen Curry Night Night celebration, explained
The origins of Curry’s “Night Night” celebration don’t appear to come from the sharpshooter from Davidson — at least not at first glance.
As numerous Twitter users pointed out, famed wrestler CM Punk pulled off the move regularly during the late 2000s. In fact, CM Punk made the gesture a featured element of one of his signature moves, the “Go To Sleep” finisher.
We’re still not certain if Curry got the gesture from CM Punk. If you ask him, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
“I have no idea. I don’t choreograph none of that stuff,” Curry said during after Game 2 of the 2022 Western Conference Finals.
Plenty in the sports world have taken notice of Curry’s exploits in the years since its debut, from Sabrina Ionescu to Andrew McCutchen. Expect those emulations to continue in the months and years to come.