Even if his primacy on the court with the Warriors has been challenged by Kevin Durant, Steph Curry remains perhaps the biggest star in the NBA, as evidenced by him leading the league in jersey sales. A huge source of those sales, and by extension Curry’s popularity, stems from his resonance with children, according to Steve Kerr and Kevin Durant, who both compared his impact on fans to none other than Michael Jordan.
“The crowd size is similar [to Jordan], but the biggest difference is the children that gravitate toward Steph,” Kerr said in comparing the two players’ fan base following. “You see so many little kids with Steph jerseys begging for his autograph.”
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“They all identify with him,” Kerr said prior to the Warriors’ game Wednesday night against the Jordan-owned Hornets. “He’s probably the rare superstar where an 8-year-old kid can go, ‘He looks just like me. Maybe I can do it.'”
Kerr has discussed the differences between Jordan and Curry’s respective presences on the court before, and stars like Kevin Garnett have drawn lines between the two as well. But for an authority as high as Kerr to not just compare Curry to Jordan, but claim the former has surpassed the latter in any sense, is quite something. Durant had a reasonable explanation, however:
“I see 3- and 4-year-olds with IPads now, so they can obviously see more highlights from Steph and follow him on his social media,” Durant said. “Access for him is a little more” than Jordan.
Even if Curry’s star hasn’t shone as brightly this season as the last two years, discussions like this serve as a helpful reminder that Steph is still perhaps the signature star of the NBA right now.
(Via AP)
