Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski puts end to viral tweet with first 30-point game

SACRAMENTO — With one free throw, Brandin Podziemski quieted teammates, unmuzzled at least one fan online and robbed thousands more inside the Kings’ arena of free pizza.

Podziemski had 29 points when he stepped to the foul line with 5 seconds left in the Warriors’ loss to the Kings on Friday night. He knew the significance of his number in the box score.

“Everyone did,” the third-year guard said. “As soon as I missed the first one, everyone on the bench looked at me, and that’s why I smiled a little bit. They’ve been giving me a hard time about it the whole year.”

Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NBAE via Getty Images

Fortunately for Podziemski, the second free throw fell and gave him 30 points for the first time in his young career. It took him 219 games, which may not seem like a lot unless you made a public commitment to not posting from a certain social media account until he did.

That is just what one user on X did all the way back on Nov. 25, 2024, when @currysafraud wrote, “Not tweeting until Podz scores 30.” The post was routinely resurfaced and racked up more than 30 million views before Podziemski finally made good a year and a half later.

The Kings give away free pizza any time an opponent misses two free throws, and Podziemski used a question about snuffing out the promotion to let it be known he’s in on the joke, too.

“It would’ve been bad on both ends,” he said. “Pizza — and the account can be activated now.”

Podziemski had scored 25 or more nine times entering Friday, including four in the two months Steph Curry missed earlier this year, but the 30-point threshold eluded him.

Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NBAE via Getty Images

His quest for 30 took on a life of its own to the point that another account on X made a post highlighting the players to have reached the scoring figure since Podziemski’s debut.

The list included teammates Gui Santos and Will Richard, who each set career-highs with 30-point performances earlier this season. Richard, a rookie, also accomplished his against the Kings in Sacramento on the Warriors’ first visit in November.

Podziemski was so determined once the number was within reach that he drove the length of the court and drew contact despite Sacramento having already sealed the win.

“I told him we were going to treat him like Devin Booker when he scored 70 in Boston and they lost,” Steph Curry joked. “I know he’s been searching for it. Everybody knew it, too. It was fun to see him get it — and the way he got it done.”

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