Suns announcer Eddie Johnson recalls "true story" of how 7yo Steph Curry nearly beat him 1-on-1
One of the ways to test one's basketball skills is playing a one-on-one game, but Suns announcer Eddie Johnson was not prepared for a seven-year-old Steph Curry.
During an interview on the PHNX Suns podcast, Johnson revealed how he was almost handed a sour taste of defeat when a young Curry was leading him by a huge margin.
Back then, Johnson was still one of the best shooting guards in the league and he was not going to let a seven-year-old kid handle his business against him. What started as a simple game between an NBA guard and a child with basketball aspirations ended up becoming a competitive showing.
"I look up we playing a game of 10, this dude up seven-nothing," Johnson said. "I said, 'Hold up now, now I'm in the NBA. I'm one of the top shooters in the game' ... I went old man style on him. I started backing him down."
Fast forward to now and the Warriors star is more than capable of making several NBA legends sweat in a one-on-one matchup. Despite not being the tallest or strongest player on the court, Steph Curry makes up for it with his incredible shotmaking and quick decision-making.
The four-time NBA Champion is entering his 16th season, coming off one of his best individual years. In the 74 games he played last season, Curry averaged 26.4 points (45.0% shooting, including 40.8% from beyond the arc), 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Steph Curry revealed that he was able to finally dunk when he reached 19 years of age
Curry was never really known as an athletic point guard even at the peak of his career. When it comes down to a highlight reel, Steph Curry would rather launch a deep shot from three-point range than go upstairs for a dunk.
However, the two-time NBA MVP revealed the time when he was finally able to dunk on the basketball court.
"19 years old," Curry said. "Freshman in college. It took me that long. Davidson College. Off the lob, two feet, two hands. It was a loud day on campus that day."
The timing might have been late but it arrived just in time before he made his arrival in the professional league. When it comes to a player built like Steph Curry, they are not really known as high flyers, especially compared to the likes of Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant.
Despite being capable of throwing down a dunk every now and then, it's a testament to Curry's excellent shotmaking ability that he doesn't need to use it regularly.