Interview with reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry: "I know I am not perfect on the floor"
They are not the strongest team on paper, they don’t, as yet, have a legacy as monumental as the greatest teams of the league nor do their personnel have lists of accolades in their careers.
So why is it that everyone watching them is prescient of their names being carved in the halls of sempiternal basketball glory?
And more importantly, what is it that the Golden State Warriors possess and implement to perfection that makes them the rampaging beast that has laid waste to everyone in the current season and been as-yet-unassailable?
It’s the versatility. The tenacity. The superficially imperceptible indomitability. The unbridled joy of doing what you love that bolsters you to the summit. The absolute abjuration of ego for the cause. In short, the mythical ‘X-factor’.
A couple of days after the Dubs beat the immortal Lakers to go 16-0 and recorded the best start to an NBA season, their nucleus, reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry, took time to interact with global media persons.
The lynchpin of the NBA champs was very polite and unfeigned as he patiently answered queries on a conference call to sports journalists from all over the world. Yours truly was very fortunate indeed, to be able to be able to ask and be answered by the most efficient player in the league currently.
Peruse through these excerpts from the interview where Curry talked about his team, what it takes to be a great player, his strength and being a champion, amongst other things:
Q1. Basketball has some basic rules like the closer you get the more points you score. But it looks like you guys are breaking those rules. Is it one of your goals that you want to tell people that the era is changing, the new generation is changing the NBA? If the answer is yes, what's the new era stand for?
That's a great question. I think a lot of it is just the style of play that we're comfortable playing. It's very perimeter-oriented. A lot of people use the term “small ball” now with the lineups that we can throw out there on the floor. So, I'm sure it's been done in the past, but I think our efficiency and obviously our record is kind of showing that it's a very powerful lineup and a powerful way to play on the court. It's turning a lot of heads.
So, we're going to use our skill and our athleticism and our shooting and just the different lineups that we can throw out there to help us win games. And the three-point shot is definitely something that's more prevalent now than it ever has been. I mean, at the end of the day, you still have to make shots so that's what we're about.
Q2. You guys are 16-0 and reaching records. But Luke Walton is not getting like the record credit. How much do you think he's responsible for the record you guys are achieving right now?
A lot. We're out there executing on the floor and we have a lot of chemistry and we're trying to take our game to the next level from what we did last year. And everybody has a part in it, from the coaching staff all the way down to the 15th guy on the roster. So, everybody is locked in and focused.
And the system that Coach [Steve] Kerr implemented last year is the best thing that we pride ourselves on defensively and offensively. So, the message is still the same. Go out, play hard every night, and try to execute the style of play that we've established and hopefully good things happen. And, obviously, 16-0 is a good sign of that.
Q3. What about your family for you? How important are your wife and your kids for you in your evolution as a player?
They're my support system and they're the thing that is the most consistent part of my life. So, no matter how well I'm playing on the floor, making sure that they're taken care of and that we're growing as a family is definitely a huge part of my life.
So, for my wife especially, obviously, with the schedule that we have as NBA players and the travel and just the amount of time that we're in the gym, having a family creates a lot of responsibility on her with two kids now. So, I appreciate all of the stuff that she does to allow me to play at a high level every night.
But they keep me in perspective. There's more to life than basketball, and to be able to go through this journey with them and kind of share that with them, that's special. And I'm sure any father in the league would say the same thing.
To have their kids be able to grow up and watch them play the game of basketball and, obviously, for us, for the game of basketball to be able to support our families, that's huge. I grew up in an NBA family. My dad played for 16 years. And it's very, very rewarding to see the other side of that process.
Q4. Your field goals have improved since last season. Does Steve Nash have something to do with that?
A little bit. He's been around for a week or so at a time, giving us some pointers in practice and things like that.
I was really waiting for some more games to get under our belt to get some film so that we can sit down and watch it together and I can kind of see how he sees the game and the decisions that he would make in certain situations - like the situations when I'm out there on the floor so that I can get a different perspective.
But we have had some one-on-one sessions where he's given me a few pointers on how to play the pick-and-roll and how to find and be creative to find different shots.
So, we're still in the beginning process of our, I guess you'd call it player-coach relationship, but he's definitely going to be a valuable asset for us as we get into the main bulk of the season.
Q5. When people talk about the Warriors, the first person they talk about would be you and then Klay Thompson. But I want to talk about Draymond Green. Can you talk about his role in your team and how much his performance has pushed your team?
Oh, he's as important to the lineup as any other guy on the team because of all the different things that he can do on the floor. Whether it's playing defense, rebounding, playmaking, getting everybody involved.
And he's also the main voice of the team. I try to lead, in a certain style, by example and bring my effort every single night. I'll talk a little bit, but Draymond is kind of the spirit of the team and we kind of feed off his energy.
So, he's a huge asset for us. He's improved his game every single year since he's been in the league. And, now, it's about just bringing that consistently every single night, like he does, and it's just pretty fun to watch.
Q6. LeBron James and you have been compared to soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who is, in fact, one of the nominees, along with you, for the next Sports Illustrated Award. Do you think that you are kind of the Messi of the NBA right now or we should say that Messi is the Steph Curry of soccer?
(Laughs)I don't know -- it's like a chicken or egg kind of conversation. We both have a creative style, where it's just about a feeling when you're out on the pitch or the court. I try to do some fancy things out there with both hands, making crossover moves and kind of having a certain creativity and flair to my game.
And that's definitely the style that Messi has when he's out there in his matches. I love watching him play. I'm a big fan. And to see, just a guy that you never know what he's going to do at any particular moment -- when he's on TV, everybody is glued in because, as soon as he gets a touch with the ball, something special could happen. And you've got to appreciate that kind of talent.
Q7. Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? And whatever the answer is, did that mentality help you, or did that help you in the game?
I try to be, yes, for sure. I know I am not perfect on the floor. I know I'm not perfect in life. But I definitely hold myself to a high standard. Sometimes I have really good games statistically, with a lot of points, a lot of assists and what have you, but the first thing that I look at on a stat sheet is my turnovers.
No matter how well I play, that's kind of the first thing I think about, and try to figure out how I can get better. That's definitely the perfectionist in me. No matter if I score 50, if I have more than, like, three turnovers and they were some bad turnovers, I'd kind of be disappointed in myself.
I'm always trying to get better and strive for that perfect game. I haven't played it yet. So, maybe one day I will.
Q8. You guys have elevated what's become known, as small ball. Now coming from a country like India, where people with the necessary physical attributes for NBA or basketball, in general, aren't abundant, do you think that us and similar countries should adopt that kind of style, and what advice would you give in that regard?
Yeah, I mean, it's about being skilled. Obviously, I'm not the most physically dominant person out there. I'm 6-3, 185 pounds soaking wet, and you try to just be able to do a lot of different things on the court.
Being able to dribble with both hands, being able to shoot the ball from inside and outside, holding your own at the defensive end, and you've got to have heart. That's the biggest thing that we show and demonstrate every night, with our small-ball tenacity, and the way we go out.
It doesn't really matter, really, the next guy if he's taller than me, if he's stronger than me, if he's faster than me. If you have that will and heart to compete, I think more times than not, you'll be successful. So, there is a lot of opportunity in the game of basketball for the shorter guy, and if there wasn't, I wouldn't be in this league.
Q9. Congratulations on your start. While it is exciting to be breaking those sort of records, as you said at the beginning of this conference, it is a long season. Even though you're in your prime, given how important you are to the Warriors, can you say that you may well be rested a bit later on this season if the success is to continue like this, and would you resist that sort of request?
Yeah, we were in that situation last year. I think we had already eclipsed the 60-win mark by April and we were trying to kind of balance staying sharp and building that chemistry as we go through the last two weeks of the season, even maybe before that, and trying to figure out, how to handle that, and Coach Kerr did a great job of managing the rotation the whole year and keeping minutes down.
And, obviously, we had a lot of games where some of the starters didn't even play the fourth quarter. I think I missed like 17 last year, so we'll see how it goes. Obviously, there are 66 games left, a lot could happen, but if we take care of our business, we want to make it as easy as possible on ourselves as we go down the stretch of the season, so we're not fighting for seeding and having to go all out as we gear up for the playoffs.
It's really just about taking advantage of the opportunity we have with this great start and being as sharp and as rested and as fresh as we can for the first round of the playoffs.
Q10. Your improvement from last year to the current year has been so impressive. Of course, coming off an MVP year and with the improvement, it makes it just so much more notable. It is early, but Harrison Barnes did say last week on ESPN's “NBA Countdown” that he expects you to win the MVP and the Most Improved Player. What are your thoughts on that comment?
Well, that's a goal. I mean, obviously, the formula for it last year was – it just starts with winning, and starts with hopefully leading my team every single night to playing at a high level.
Statistically, I don't know what that will mean at the end of the season, if those numbers will look better than they did last year or whatnot, but I definitely feel like I'm a better player than I was last year, more efficient.
We, as a team, are definitely better than we were last year, so we're just trying to manage that for 66 more games and the rest of that will take care of itself. It was a dream come true to win one MVP, win one championship, but that fuels the fire to do it all over again.
I know the process - you want to just stay in the moment as best you can, and that's how you stay focused, that's how you stay within yourself, and we've done a great job of that so far.
Q11. As a reigning MVP, have the pressures of expectations and maybe the on-court responsibilities increased?
There is pressure; there is more of a spotlight. I think the biggest thing we've learned so far is that every game we play, no matter what team, what the team's record is, how they've been playing leading up to our game, we're going to get the team's best shot, because they want to dethrone the champs.
Whether it's to come into Oracle (Arena) and get a win, or protect their home court against the Warriors, it’s a big deal, so if we're not on our game, it'll show really quickly, because it's a big game every time we play. That's a good thing and a bad thing, obviously; it challenges us to be ready every single night.
We can't coast through any game. We can't just show up and expect just because the Warriors are here, that we're going to get a win. We really have to do something about it.
And every player, individually, has a brighter spotlight, than they did last year, because we're the champs and people want to know what we're up to, they want to kind of stay as attached as they can to our story. We've got to embrace that because it's a great spot to be in. Winning is fun, and whatever comes with that, we can appreciate.
Q12. Can you talk about how your concept of hard work has changed since 2008, when as a student, you were playing for a career, but it was more fun. Now, you’re so much more involved off the court, extracurriculars, family. How has that concept changed for you? What do you try to do on a daily basis to show that you're changing and growing as a player and a person?
Well, that's a great question. My experience at Davidson College really, really prepared me for not only just playing in the NBA and having total control over your play on the court, family life, off-court opportunities and branding and stuff like that, but just, time management, keeping priorities straight, all that stuff.
We were challenged at Davidson, because it's such a rigorous academic institution, as well as trying to be great D-1 athletes and have success at that level. So, really, the amount of work that we had to put in at Davidson might be actually harder than now in the NBA.
Obviously, all I'm worried about doing on a day-to-day basis is basketball, and there's more time, more free time. Actually, with the family and kids, it's kind of a little different now, but it's just about keeping priorities straight.
No matter how successful you are on the court, there are great opportunities that you can tap into. Like this summer, after we won the championship, you want to celebrate and take the trophy everywhere, and the sponsorship deals and shoots and things that had to take up the whole summer, but all the while, I had to work on getting better, so I had my trainer travel with me.
You just have to make certain decisions that are right for you and handle the situation accordingly. It's a great challenge. Every year is different, and you obviously continue to get better and learn and not be afraid to ask questions of guys that have done it before you, which helps you be prepared for whatever is coming your way.