Stephen Curry is doing things we have never seen on a basketball court. The Warriors are 22-0, and Curry is averaging more than 32 points a night while somehow leading the entire league in true shooting percentage, and connecting on nearly double the number of three-pointers as the second person on the list.
ESPN The Magazine has a lengthy interview piece with Curry in which he talks everything from how important the winning streak is, to comparisons to Steve Nash and the mid-2000s Suns, to whether or not he tweets on the toilet (yes). But perhaps the most interesting part of the conversation with interviewer Sam Alipour came when he asked Curry about trying to build a legacy that would put him in the conversation for the greatest NBA player of all-time.
Alipour: Is going down as the GOAT in your mind’s eye, or do you just go in conceding that title due to the presence of one Michael Jordan?
Stephen Curry: It’s a high mountain to climb, but I’m pretty motivated to take on the challenge. Whatever that means, however you got on that mountain, why not try to climb it? And do it in your own way.
Alipour: So you are trying to top MJ as the greatest of all time?
Curry: Yeah. Why else would I be playing? You want to be the best you can be. And if the best you can be is better than him, then why not? That’s good motivation.
In addition to comparisons to Michael Jordan, Curry also talked about who is the best right now between himself and LeBron James.
Alipour: Are you the best player in the world?
Curry: When I’m on the floor, I believe I am, for sure. I don’t get into why I’m better than such and such. But that’s my motivation when I work.
Alipour: It’s you and LeBron in a toss-up right now.
Curry: That motivates me. But if I took a vote of the nation and they say I finished second, I wouldn’t be, like, disappointed. It’s a pretty cool conversation to have.
Curry doesn’t say anything too inflammatory, and comes across as confident, but focused. As great as the Warriors start has been, it won’t mean anything if they don’t repeat as NBA champions, and Curry appears to be well aware of that.
For now, though, all we can do is appreciate what we’re seeing, as Curry and the Warriors continue to redefine the NBA game and put themselves in the conversation for one of the greatest teams ever assembled.
(Via ESPN)
