Basketball derby

Wow! A Carinthian shoots better than NBA star Curry

Neo-Pirate Lukas Simoner has a better free throw percentage than NBA star Stephen Curry.(Bild: Josef Kuess)

The Wörthersee Piraten basketball team are clear favorites in the second league derby against KOS Klagenfurt this Saturday (18). Not only because of their great free-throw percentage: they lead the league and are better than the NBA team Golden State Warriors. And December newcomer Lukas Simoner even puts US superstar Stephen Curry in the shade.

Normally, comparisons between the domestic 2nd division in basketball and the NBA are completely meaningless due to the huge difference in quality. But when it comes to free throws, the athletes are on the same level. And a player from league leaders Wörthersee Klagenfurt outdoes all the superstars from the best league in the world!

26 of 27 shots sunk
Klagenfurt's new guard Lukas Simoner has made an impressive 26 of 27 attempts - that's 96.3 percent. In the NBA, superstar Stephen Curry leads the statistics - with 92.4 percent. Curry, who was recently voted MVP in the All-Star Game, has already thrown 172 shots and made 159. "It's a cool comparison and I'm really happy about it. I've never had a run like this with free throws - I didn't make any at all in the Bundesliga with Graz," grins Simoner, who switched to the Pirates in December.

And his entire team would not even be last in the NBA with a rate of 73.36 percent - only Curry's Golden State Warriors are worse with 73.1 percent.

NBA star Stephen Curry was recently named MVP in the All-Star Game.(Bild: AP)

KOS threatens negative record
In today's home derby (18) against KOS Klagenfurt, the team hopes that free throws will not be the deciding factor. Simoner: "We have a lot of quality, but we have to be careful - derbies have their own dynamic."

Strong: The Pirates (Holyfield is fit again!) have already surpassed their all-time record of 30 points (26 last year) as league leaders - although two games are still open. Rivals KOS (two points!) are about to beat their internal minus record (four points in 2014/15) three games before the end of the basic round. Only the Pirates were worse in 2016/17 with 0 (!) points. KOS boss Michi Seher: "Hopefully we can upset them, but it will be very difficult."