By: Alex Yuan
Stephen Curry isn’t anything like what the basketball hall of fame normally sees. Even though he is considered by many to be “vertically challenged,” he still dominates the game. Yet, we almost take him for granted. We don’t truly acknowledge his greatness and his leadership.
“We’re getting away from appreciating,” said Andre Iguodala, a basketball player on the Golden State Warriors. “I call them gods — that very unique talent, generational talent. Because we are so close to them, we don’t appreciate them as much. When he’s gone, we’re really going to miss him and forget how much of an impact not just on the Warriors or the NBA but on the entire globe. You know, like he made the world move.”
Curry is such a dominant leader and yet is very ordinary in terms of size. “You’ve never seen a guy his size dominate the league like this and just to put the weight of everything on his shoulders throughout a Finals series,” said Iguodala. “We all saw what he was doing to them boys. Normally you get a guy that’s a center, like an Hakeem [Olajuwon]. Or Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, those guys are 6-7 and taller, and they can get to their spots and shoot over guys.”
Steph’s specialty isn’t just hitting shots and earning points for his team, but he’s also a natural leader. He sets up plays and attacks from all angles. He makes the people around him play better and helps others succeed.
“It all starts with Steph,” Draymond Green, one of Curry’s teammates, said at the beginning of the Finals. “When KD was here, our offense still started with Steph, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”
Many people compare Curry to Magic Johnson. Magic was a great point guard, but he needed the ball to be effective. Curry can dismantle the other team’s defense with or without the ball. He is equally dangerous both ways. That’s what makes Curry a great player.
Curry is truly something new. He is in his very own class. He is different from the other basketball legends, but that is part of the reason he is so spectacular and entertaining on the court.