Many studies have been conducted over the last decade exploring whether the “hot hand” is a tangible phenomenon in sports. No matter what conclusion data scientists land on, it goes without saying they aren't as well-versed in the topic as Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.

Unsurprisingly, the greatest shooter in the history of basketball doesn't agree with the scientific consensus.

“They don't know what they're talking about at all,” Curry said of “hot hand” doubters on Hot Ones. “Unless you've been in that 94 feet, and you've seen Klay Thompson score 37 in a quarter, 60 in three quarters, when I had 60 in one game. It's literally a tangible, physical sensation of all I need to do is get this ball off my fingertips and it's gonna go in. Because you also know the opposite side of that when you can't hit the broad side of the barn and everything feels good but the results aren't there. That balance of where you are on that spectrum is the ultimate game within the game.”

With the possible exception of long-time teammate Klay Thompson, no player in the NBA understands catching fire quite like Curry. The league's all-time leader in three-pointers insists he knows exactly when the hot hand hits, a sign that countless hours in the gym are paying off in full.

“There are times you catch the ball and you've maybe made one or two in a row—and this is in practice or a game or whatever the case is, but mostly in a game—everything else does not exist. The only thing that exists is as long as I can get this shot off and it's not gonna get blocked, the rim feels like the ocean,” Curry said. “It's one of the most rewarding feelings for us, myself and other great shooters, that's all you work for is the muscle memory and the mechanics that develops that confidence so that when you're in the game, you're not surprised you're in those moments, but when it happens it's like, ‘Yeah, this is what I've been waiting for.'”

Don't be fooled by numbers-driven naysayers. The next time you're feeling it at your local pickup game, don't hesitate to indulge the temptation for even the most brazen of heat checks. Why? Stephen Curry, the truest expert on the matter, knows the hot hand is real.