Jordan Poole brought down a buzzer from almost half court as Stephen Curry made a point to catch his eye, and that look of celebration spoke volumes about the veteran guard’s pride in his young teammate.
Curry expressed such delight that Poole hit the amazing shot from deep as he would have, the superstar who has already had more than his share of 3-pointers for a long, long time. That’s Selfless Steph: He never lets his ego get in the way of Golden State’s success.
Curry still did a lot by scoring 29 points to lead the Warriors to a 107-88 win in the NBA Game 2 Finals against the Celtics on Sunday night, tying the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. as he travels to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday. .
He applauded Poole for keeping the momentum going into the final period.
“That was obviously a big hit to get the crowd going,” Curry said. “Put kind of a dagger in that great third quarter we had.”
Curry, 34, accepts living in a constant state of reflection, not to mention balancing it as a father of three young children, while somehow keeping his mind very focused on the moment right in front of him.
Reflecting on how far he’s come, from being drafted as the undersized Davidson College first-round pick in 2009 to all the early-career losses and remarkable rise to becoming one of the best in NBA history, Curry regularly acknowledges their gratitude.
“I’ve said it many times, Steph reminds me a lot of Tim Duncan,” coach Steve Kerr said. “When I played with Timmy, there was the same vibe, this incredible authentic humility, humor and joy behind the scenes. Then, frankly, some real swagger on the pitch, like ‘I’m the best player here.’ He is the perfect kind of leader, someone you feel comfortable with in the locker room but someone you can count on to get you where you need to go on the court.
“That’s what Steph possesses. It is a very rare combination of qualities. But that’s what makes it special.”
Curry exhibits that humility in the way he goes about his daily business without worrying about how many points he scores from night to night, handing out help or flexing his arms to perform in front of adoring fans chanting “MVP!” at every opportunity
He’s enjoying the process of helping inexperienced Warriors players find their way, for this postseason and beyond.
Earlier this year, the newly crowned all-time 3-point leader reveled in the attention that shone on teammate Andrew Wiggins when he earned his first career All-Star selection and was named the Conference starter. West.
That selfless nature goes back years. When Kevin Durant arrived to great fanfare in 2016, Curry took a backseat and allowed Durant to find his place on a new team. It was an important gesture that ultimately ended with two championships together and back-to-back Finals MVP honors for KD.
“It all starts with Steph. When KD was here, our offense still started with Steph,” Draymond Green said. “This is how it’s going to be.”
Back in the finals for the sixth time in eight years, it’s time for Curry to lead the Warriors again. But he’ll be thrilled to see Poole hit another 39-footer, Kevon Looney break the boards to create second chances on the offensive glass, or Wiggins take on one of the more difficult defensive assignments, like guarding Jayson Tatum.
“I remember where I started and the whole journey. You remind yourself of that every day. The fact that from high school to your first All-Star Game, it’s a journey, and everything had to go right in your life and on the court for that to happen,” Curry said. “I never get too cocky on that front. This is how I live my life. So everything in terms of appreciation and gratitude for everything that happens, all the experiences that you have, everything that you go through, you keep building on that, and generally good things happen because you appreciate everything, no matter what.”
And if Curry and company can win it all one more time, he’ll join a star-studded roster of players with two or more MVPs and four titles: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Duncan. .
Green has long admired how Curry never lets the attention surrounding his own stardom affect anything this group achieves, nor does he seek to be treated differently. And Curry accepted ownership when things didn’t work out during the NBA’s worst, pandemic-shortened 15-50 season two years ago.
“It sets a huge tone in that sense because he’s never going to come up to you, ‘You’re supposed to look at me this way,’ which in turn ends up looking at him more that way,” Green said of the level of respect. . “… I think when your leader and the face of your franchise is like that, you have no choice but to be like that. What is your ego compared to his? Why would any of us care if you have an ego and he doesn’t? So I think he definitely sets the tone, not just for the players but for everyone in this organization and the way they all operate.”
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