Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry revolutionized the game of basketball with incredible shooting ability and his seeming skill of having unlimited range, being able to shoot from anywhere on the court. But, he is also a player who shares fond stories with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
When Curry came into the league and was finding his way, it was natural for him to look up to Bryant, who was one of the best players in the league at the time.
Curry was recently interviewed on Hot Ones with Sean Evans, and shared a few of his favorite Bryant stories from early in his career. Included in those stories was when the Lakers star called him ‘nice’ during his rookie season, when Kobe picked him up full court in a preseason game and also when Curry made a triple in his face and got a pat on the behind, via Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer:
Stephen Curry's story about Kobe Bryant is awesome.
Interview by @seanseaevans on Hot Ones: https://t.co/dULXXTO5og pic.twitter.com/mtHXGA70mc
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 27, 2023
Bryant is seen as an ultimate competitor with the way he approaches every game, how he prepares and his mentality. With his laser focus on basketball, it was rare to see the five-time champion step out of that zone for a second and acknowledge an up-and-coming player in the league like Curry, who is now in the conversation of the best point guards the NBA has ever seen.
Now with the untimely passing of the Black Mamba, these stories hold a lot more weight and serve as a core memory for Curry and other players that have had interactions with Bryant. Curry came into the league towards the latter end of Bryant’s career but the two still shared some battles against one another.
When the Hall of Famer was heading the way out, it seemed like Curry was ushering in the new era and playstyle of the NBA. Now with the 3-point shot being more vital than it has ever been, if a player isn’t able to shoot from distance, it’ll be hard to find time on the court.
Tracy McGrady believes he was in conversation with Kobe Bryant as best player in NBA
When Bryant was in the prime of his career, he was dominating the league with his scoring averages that got up to 35.4 points in the 2005-06 season. However, another legend in Tracy McGrady felt like he was up there with Bryant for that top spot in the league when both were in their primes.
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