WATCH: Stephen Curry faces former teammate in surprise press Q&A, gets nostalgic as he reminisces old days
Stephen Curry reflected on the past when he spotted his ex-teammate Festus Ezeli, an NBC Sports Bay Area reporter, during a news conference following the Golden State Warriors' 126-106 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Ezeli asked Curry about the impact of having versatile bigs on the team, and before talking about his current teammates, the Warriors legend expressed recognition for his former teammate.
“I’m sitting here reminiscing about No. 31 I used to play with back in the day,” Curry said.
Ezeli played three seasons for the Warriors and had averages of 4.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. Stephen Curry played 166 regular-season games with him, going 124-42, and they won the 2015 championship together. Ezeli then signed with the Blazers in 2016 but did not play a game for them due to a knee injury.
Ezeli joined the Santa Cruz Warriors and the Westchester Knicks, both G League affiliates, as part of his rehabilitation process. However, he was unable to make a comeback to the NBA and retired from professional basketball in 2021 due to persistent knee issues.
He has since taken on reporter duties.
Stephen Curry talks about Warriors’ bigs
After reminiscing his time with Festus Ezeli, Stephen Curry discussed the distinctive qualities that the current big men on the Warriors bring to the team.
The Warriors have been utilizing their centers more as their frontcourt got depleted with the indefinite suspension of Draymond Green.
“It’s great though, because like I said, Loon (Kevon Looney) gives us, you know, a certain look at that position,” Curry said.
He also praised Looney for mentoring rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis.
“Trayce is obviously learning from him — where to be and understanding, especially on defense, how to be one step ahead. On offense, you know, there’s just a change of pace,” Curry said.
“It just seems like he's understanding angles on screens and comprehending the timing on those rolls — whether it's a lob or whether it's a drop-down pass. I'm getting, you know, to the basket. It applies a lot of pressure to the defenses, especially with the shooting that we have around and the way the ball moves.”
Jackson-Davis has put up 11.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game in his last five games.
The Warriors will cap off 2023 with games against the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.