Draymond shares great story to explain Steph’s league-wide respect originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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Draymond Green shared a great story about how the rest of the NBA looks up to Steph Curry.
Green recounted an interaction he had with an NBA player over the summer while speaking to the media after the Warriors’ 102-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday at Intuit Dome.
“Guys in the league look at [Steph] as like this mythical superhero,” Green explained. “I had a very prominent basketball player in the NBA, like All-Star, hit me this summer because he wanted to talk to Steph. And it was like a whole thing it was like, ‘Yo, so I don’t talk to Steph, can you give me his number?’
“I’m never going to just give someone a number, so I immediately hit Steph like, ‘Yo, such-and-such wants your number,’ and he said, ‘Absolutely give it to him.’ He then proceeded to ask me, ‘So how do I ask [Steph]? I want to do this, how should I?,’ and I’m just like, ‘Well ask him, what do you mean? Just ask him the question.’ ”
I asked Steph if he even knows that other guys in the league feel like this, and he said he does when one of these type of things happen. “It’s surreal,” he said, although he also noted that partly just means he’s old 😂 https://t.co/wY795k46Rv
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) November 19, 2024
Given Curry’s status as one of the greatest players in NBA history, it’s not surprising that the younger generation of stars view him as a mythic hero. According to Green, it’s the entire league, both young and old players, who hold such reverence for Curry.
“And you start to see that with more and more guys,” Green said “And it’s not always just young guys. So when people come to this team, their first reaction is, ‘Man [Steph] acts like that? He’s cool with you doing this?’
“Just [Steph’s] demeanor, it’s super inviting and makes everyone comfortable. And then guys feel comfortable on the basketball court.”
Sixteen years into his NBA career, Curry has redefined basketball with his long-range shooting skills. Before the emergence of the Golden State dynasty, the 3-point shot was seen as something of a novelty.
Once Curry unlocked his true shooting potential, the game never was the same. Now, teams construct rosters based on shooting and speed, with little thought given to the mid-range jump shooting of yesteryear.
Beyond the pure statistics, Curry’s calm demeanor and mentorship have been critical to the success of the franchise over the past decade.
Golden State is off to a strong start to the season, exceeding expectations thanks to strong shooting and lockdown defense. Still, it’s Curry’s impact on and off the court that is pushing the team.
