Stephen Curry : The evolution of a superstar and the similarity to Lionel Messi
“Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them.”
John W. Gardner
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as are of the former kind. Players who were christened as the heir to the great Michael Jordan. Players who were blessed with the hyper-athletic ability and a basketball IQ that transcends the game.
They are players who starred and super-starred in the league and for the better part of the last two decades have been the face of the game. Legendary credentials notwithstanding, the careers of these two players were certainly a story of them pursuing excellence, but doing so to be accountable for the greatness thrust upon them.
Kobe is going to sign off a great career this year and LeBron still has a few years left. And on their arduous journey to stand true to the yardstick of greatness they evolved into becoming players who mimicked Jordan in ways that they could best translate into their game.
Kobe evolved into a cerebral assassin who excelled in closing games and making the clutch moments his own. LeBron evolved into an athletic marvel who at his size and speed was a daemon to guard against and dominated the power and speed game with an efficiency that was reminiscent of the likes of Julius Erving and Elgin Baylor.
Do I wish to comment on their greatness? Not today. But I sure wish to express my grudge over the grim yardstick set for greatness. A yardstick that almost seemed unattainable for the normal kid playing in his backyard. Not everyone is blessed with these superhuman athletic gifts and for quite a while the game struggled to find a role model who the normal public could look to emulate.
Jordan was great but the game certainly had more facets that needed highlighting. Thankfully Stephen Curry stepped through and demolished the yardstick. A player who in the true spirit wasn’t christened for greatness but excelled into one.
Curry is easily the best player in the game now and like Nike many did underestimate his potential. I remember writing a piece three years back in which I lamented the fact that Curry was snubbed at the All-Star game and how he needed to be much better to compete in the Western Conference that is loaded at the point guard position. That year, I like many lamented the fact that Curry didn't back himself enough and in the big moments was often the third option for Mark Jackson behind Jarett Jack and David Lee.
Three years on there is a stratospheric difference in his game. He now is the face of the new small-ball NBA where he is dominating the game from far and beyond the paint. His unlimited range and unassailable belief have seen him attempting and making some of the most incredulous shots in the history of the game.
The fluidity and rhythm in his game often lull the opposition into a trance. More often than not he leaves them mesmerized and bedazzled by the array of skills at his disposal. Quite similar to what the great Lionel Messi has made a career of.