We're all familiar with a scene where, after shooting a string of difficult three-pointers, Stephen Curry snapped his fingers, shook his shoulders, and danced his little steps on the court. But we may forget that he wasn't always like that—or that he wasn't the way he is now.
The young boy who used to be wearing a Davidson College jersey, with a thin body and a low-gradient hairstyle, was gone. He became stronger, more mature, and even brought with him some not-so-excessive arrogance and expressiveness.
The most pleasing team the NBA has ever created one of the greatest stadium performers since the magician, and he seems to have appeared out of thin air
"Almost a month ago I watched my highlights at Davidson," Curry told Yahoo Sports, "and I found that I lacked performances that boosted my energy, even in tournaments." ”
Curry has always been good at mobilizing emotions, but he was not so "energetic" at the time.
"I'm still enjoying the game, still having fun, it's always been part of my DNA. We find that when we reach a certain level, sometimes it is necessary to artificially create some atmosphere, because professional sports bring physical and mental damage, and we try to carry huge expectations every night. I have to prove that I still have enough energy. "Sometimes you have to be proactive so you can fully enjoy the feelings that come with it." “
The Warriors star changed the NBA game — an undeniable fact — but he can still lead the way at nearly 34 years old, widening the gap between him and his followers behind him. If he had to pick out the season-so-far MVP on a sample of just 15 games, he would definitely be the front-runner (his odds are also the best at the moment, with BetMGM giving +200).
He has made nine three-pointers four times in a single game, scored 40 points twice, slashed 45 points in one blow, and scored 50 points against the Hawks. The Warriors simply enjoyed the current relatively easy schedule, and climbed to the top of the league with a 14-2 opening record.
His third MVP won't necessarily make him stand out, but if he wins this year, the biggest time interval between his MVP years will be on par with Michael Jordan, Karim Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain
If he wins this year's MVP, he will receive it again seven years after he first earned the MVP. This time span is second only to Jordan (1988–98), Abdul-Jabbar (1971–80) and Chamberlain (1960–1968). What's even more amazing is that the Alliance has changed dramatically during the time of their reign
Jordan's athleticism and technique basically took shape in the late 80s, while handcheck and wobbly rules had a huge impact throughout the 90s. Between the first time and the last MVP, Abbas's style changed due to the merger of the ABA and the NBA. As for Chamberlain, he dominated the NBA from the beginning to the end.
Players who can win multiple MVPs usually get this honor in a more concentrated period of time, rather than succeeding in a long period of time.
LeBron James won all four of his trophies in five years, only to be interrupted by Derrick Rose in 2011; Larry Bird won three consecutive MVPs in 1984-86, and his performance in 1987 may have been even better. Magic Johnson also won three awards in four years, and Jordan's appearance prevented him from achieving a four-game streak
"At this point, everything you say is like flattering me." Curry said, "Now when people talk about me, they start saying, 'Do... The oldest player', or 'since Jordan and Chamberlain have been able to... The oldest player', it feels crazy to think about. It's a sense of glory, whatever it means, makes me feel great. “
How Stephen Curry evolved into a system
Considering his stature and ankle injuries in his early years, Curry's peak length is the most incredible part of the story about him.
From the time he first came to the fore, to the top, to the present, the NBA seems to have gone through three completely different eras — and he has always been the same.
"In the two or three years I was in the league, even if I knew that three points were my main skill, I could only shoot 3 or 5 per game. And now I can shoot 13 shots per game. Curry said, "Now the way the team is formed, there is an increasingly ambiguous position... I can't imagine watching Vince Carter play when I was 12 or 3 years old, and now he's just retiring. The league has changed so much, and I'm in it. But it feels good to change yourself with the evolution of the way you play. ”
He himself was able to evolve because he was a system in himself, which we might call the "Curry system."
Maybe chasing the magic' all-time first point guard is unlikely, but Curry can definitely be among the best "home-grown players" in history in the discussion.
The magician is the leader of the Lakers in the "showtime" era. His talent and personality are the reasons the Lakers have been able to thrive in the long period from Noam Nixon to Byron Scott, from Bob McAdoo and Jamal Wilkes to James Worthy, from prime-age Jabbar to twilight Abdul-Jabbar. The magician is always the director, and he makes everyone else feel at ease and defines a style of play. He kept the Lakers at the top of the league, leaving behind the best of times.
Jordan's myth of being the best player in history is that he can both form his own system and be a good system player within Phil Jackson's triangle offensive system. James' own system is more complex and refined, and he needs functional players to do their jobs and let him play the best personal performance — and then, you can't stop him from leaving for the next journey.
The Curry system always seems to achieve a 1+1>2 effect. Both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green may become Hall of Famers in the future, but they are not players who can change the team on their own. In curry's system, everything works in perfect harmony – there's enough space on the pitch, there's enough atmosphere off the pitch to make the players feel at ease.
"It's all based on the fact that he's as strong as he is with the ball." In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Steve Kerr said, "We have a lot of smart players who know how to maximize his power. Some young players just enter the team and need to spend some time to understand the strength of Stephen's run without the ball. ”
Curry has hit nine three-pointers in four games this season and is the only player to have scored 50 points in a single game this season.
You wouldn't call players like Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole stars. Wiggins has just shed the impression of a "disappointing champion" and become a player who can continue to contribute and help the team win games on certain nights.
"We've built a culture and obviously the coach has the most to say." Curry said, "We grew up fast, went through two playoffs, then we took the championship and then we moved on to the next era. There's a mentality that you'll keep winning at all costs. ”
Unlike Giannis's step-by-step trajectory, his appearance is more like a turnaround. So after he encounters some small failures on the pitch, many people will think that he is just a taster, not a pioneer. When he teamed up with Kevin Durant, the ultimate player who least needed the system and the strongest player with the system came together, and it was like an unstoppable force impact on an unstoppable object. Unfortunately, despite some wonderful matches, the image of the two of them in the public eye has been negatively affected by this combination.
"I saw someone say yesterday that if you go to Rock Park and play wildball, you're definitely going to pick KD as your teammate first," Curry said, "and he has all the strengths and is 7 feet tall; and if you're going to pick five people who can play efficiently together, you're going to pick me first." I like that statement. There are many ways to succeed, everyone has everyone's way to success, and I have my own. ”
His teammates were more like playing for him than just playing with him, and he was a lot like a magician. He continues to breathe life into the team – his teammates will encourage him to keep shooting when Curry is in the middle, will watch and participate in his feats, and although they have seen it many times, they never get tired of it.
'As the team gets younger, he does a better job of leading the team. "He realized he needed to do more in terms of language," Cole said. He is already speaking more frequently. ”
Why Curry is the key to the Warriors' progression to the next championship
Curry is like Berry Gordy, Sean Combs, and Dr. Dre.
When these people make music, it's about making the music better —you can hear it, you can feel it, you can recognize from those "secret recipes" that it's their unique sound.
He's like the Sound of Motown, just a "Bay Area version."
Hours before Curry scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to tie the 13-point deficit and flip the game by double digits, the Cavaliers home arena was resounding with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's 1st of tha Month, and the Warriors were practicing in it.
Sometimes, the uplifting "Outstanding" of The Gap Band is also played in the arena.
Still, when teammates are being treated on the sidelines, it's always Curry's low and fast voice that brings laughter and energy.
Although this kind of state does not help the team win, you will understand what kind of path you are on and immerse yourself in it.
"Look at the Spurs of Tim (Duncan), Manu (Ginobili) and Tony (Parker), they are role models. Although they have never won consecutive titles, they will definitely think of them when it comes to the championship team. Curry said, "Keep a core lineup like that and then join a talented youngster like Kawhi (Leonard). That's what we want to do. We reached the highest level and then went through a two-year trough as well. ”
In the 2019-20 season, Durant's departure and Curry's wrist injury overshadowed the Warriors' future competitiveness and also made Curry, a champion-level player, suffer.
With James Wiseman, Jonathan Cumminga and Moses Moody, the Warriors' future has become brighter. But Curry's enduring peak and consistent excellence make it imperative for management and bosses to see the present as at least as important as the future.
The Spurs eventually continued to form a completely different team around Duncan, adding young superstars like Leonard. Similarly, the Lakers made up for James Worthy in 1982.
Such precedents have existed in the past, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to do it again smoothly.
"All I can do is be patient. We were still fighting for playoff spots last year, and that's a different story. Curry said, "There's always something that distracts me. I miss being able to win every night. And now, after 15 games, we're one of the best teams in the league. ”
Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and the Warriors are playing the league's best earlier in the season.
Curry said his conversations with general manager Bob Myers about personnel changes over the past two years have been fruitful, even before he signed a four-year early contract extension in August — and he expects the top to be more aggressive as the season progresses.
"That's what Bob, Steve and management have been doing," Curry said. "People who don't understand don't understand how the team works. But at the same time, our job is to play the effect they want to have when they build this team. We have a lot of work to do.
"The loss is sad. Nothing stopped me from discovering the next turnaround. As long as I can keep playing like this, plus Draymond, wait until Clay is healed..."
Some questioned whether Curry could stay fit and keep playing like he was now exhausting, while others questioned whether Green's performance today would be sustained and Whether Clay would return healthy immediately after suffering a major injury to both legs.
But so far, their strong comeback looks good, and there is no stopping momentum. Thompson is about to recover, and Curry is still joking about whether he is a "system player."
"It's all because of the effort we're doing, and ... I'm really a system player. He blinked and said.
No, Stephen. The real system is actually yourself.