Episode 10 - Steph Karma

Dubbed Dynasty as a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.

I mean, when you think of point guards growing up, I mean just true point guards, of guys bringing up the ball, setting up their teammates, running, picking rolls and pitting the pocket pass and.

Things like that.

Steph was like the first guy to like obviously shoot threes the way he does and make the game the way we all need to shoot threes now. But I mean there's a lot of shooting guards now that are looked at point guards because they have the ball in their hand now, and Steph was kind of like one of the first scoring guards to really be like that.

One of the best players of all time, no question, and then he'll be slotting away he slotted. I think what sticks out to me, because I've watched his entire career is the way he's done it with the incredible passion, the love of the game, the dedication to work ethic. You cannot maintain that type of condition. Shooting accuracy without being incredibly dedicated with incredible work ethic. I respect to admire that, maybe more.

So the way he's handled himself as a teammate.

Incorporating different players throughout his career and bringing him up to championship level, making all the teammates around him better because of the gravity he attracts from the defense, deferring to his teammates.

You know, a humble superstar.

Those were two of the greats discussing one of the greatest. The first was three time All Star Trey Young, the second Hall of Famer Chris Mullen. I'm Israel Gutierre and this is dubb Dynasty. Young was regularly compared to Curry prior to the twenty eighteen NBA draft, a comp that placed some added pressure at the start of his career, given that step had already won MVPs and championship to that point. Mullen was a warrior great who watched Curry's

They have no business in this game. Shorthanded in every excuse to quit, but they refuse.

Curry gets his side, what's up.

And Mike, they went back to demand the man on that possession, Curry got some space and.

Was able to finish instead. The twenty nineteen season ended with Curry looking as far away from a championship, as he'd been in some time. Klay Thompson would clearly miss the following season with a torn acl Kevin Durant would also miss the next season with a torn achilles, and his free agency decision lingered. What seemed quite evident is the twenty nineteen twenty twenty season would be a hard

I just evaluated my life up until this point, and once I did that, and it's pretty easy to see the direction that I needed to go into. And you know, I had some great options on the table with some championship winning organizations, some smart business minds behind the scenes as well that I could have built with along around the league. But I mean, I couldn't make a bad decision. But you know, this one was a perfect one for me.

And what were you weighing when you were thinking about whether or not to return to Golden State?

What ultimately made you decide that it was time to move on?

Just how I felt what I wanted to do at that point in my career, what I accomplished in Golden State and and Oklahoma City is going to ever be a part of me. And I'm only taking those things to the next destination. But I really put all that stuff on the shelf when it was time to make that decision. I really didn't care too much about what I did in the past. Is really about how I felt at that moment.

Okay, then the Warriors reset would be significant Besides the Durant departure. Also gone were fixtures like Andrea Guadala and Sean Livingston. Joining the Warriors were names like D'Angelo Russell, Damian Lee and a rookie and Jordan Poole, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney would still be around. From the start. It would feel like a season to test just how dominant Steph Curry could be without options like Thompson and

He sold that left wrist.

They already saw Steph tweak his ankle.

He is not moving that left.

Wrist right now.

That is the absolute last thing in the.

World that they need.

He's on.

The diagnosis would be a broken left hand for Curry. He'd played one more game all season in March, and just a few days after that, the world would be rocked by the COVID pandemic, temporarily pausing all of sports. The Warriors season would be over after a fifteen to fifty record. They weren't even invited to participate in the finish of the season in the bubble the NBA created

All the talk going in was like, okay, well, Steph is a two time MVP, one of the best players in the world. Now it's his time to step into that leadership role. How far can he take the team on his own and then proof he's gone. It was like a decimation of going from the top of the mountain to the worst record in the league fifteen and

In theory that COVID shortened twenty nineteen twenty season should have been the proper amount of time to recover from Durance's departure and the devastating injuries, but the Warriors would be hit with one more major hurdle prior to the

It was very painful.

It feels like someone kicks you in the back of your heel as hard as they could, and it just happened on a true double pull up jump shot, a move I do one hundred times a day. So it was just an unfortunate series of events. Nothing I could have ever prepared for nor prevented. I was working my butt off for ten months up to that point, and just.

You got to go back to the drawing board.

I knew I did it right away, and it's uh, you know, it's it's in the past.

But I'm getting I'm getting better every day. And while that number two overall pick James Wiseman out of Memphis wouldn't work out for the Warriors either, there were a few key acquisitions during this stretch. In February of twenty twenty, the Warriors flipped D'Angelo Russell and a couple other players

Laurant was a leading scorer, but players like Kyle Anderson, Desmond Vane, Xavier Tillman making so many big plays and that will do it. Memphis Grizzlies are in the playoffs, they eliminate the Golden State Warriors. Now the Grizzlies will now play the Jazz in the first round, starting on Sunday afternoon at Salt Lake City.

When the twenty twenty one twenty two season began, Klay Thompson was still a few months away from returning following his back to back devastating injuries, but it was the first time the Warriors felt like they could truly move on from Durant's departure. If this dynasty would be extended past the Durant era, Curry and the Doves would have to start showing it now Here's Burke I would.

Say it was a cleansing that happened because they had arrived at rock bottom. The injuries gave them the worst record in the league, and then the next season after that when they were bounced from the play in they were embarrassed. So it was sort of like a reset as far as how they felt about themselves. I think it's a little silly to say that a team that built a dynasty suddenly had a chip on their shoulder.

The Warriors jumped out to an eighteen and two start to kick off the season. Pool was providing scoring out first when the team needed it, a lot like Thompson had done in the past. Green was still among the best at what he does, and Wiggins was on his way to his first All Star season. The vibes were similar to the surprising start of the twenty fourteen to

I think his whole journey is what makes him special. He comes in early. He doesn't look like an NBA player. He looks like a player that you know if you go play pick up at the park. Yeah, this kid can shoot a little bit, let's play him. But he didn't have this massive athletic body, so everybody could relate to him, and he became a fan favorite early. Then with his style of the three point shooting, he changed

Even those who played alongside Curry can't fully understand the control step has over a best the ball. DeMarcus Cousins was only Steph's teammate for one season, but he saw enough to question whether the game's greatest shooter might have alien DNA.

He has this like childlike demeanor where he's always just kind of playing around and being himself. Like I said, he's a joy to be around. But you know he would walking the old practice arena, the one that was still in Oakland. He would always and the way the gym was set up, it was baskets all the way or all around the gym, just random baskets. It was I may be way off, but let's say it was

So stuff was, you know, steph thing was as soon as he.

Walked in, he would just grab a ball and he would just randomly, like just throw it over his head like and I watched this guy to do this over and over and over again, and I've literally watched him make one hundred random just all net, not even looking at the basket, just and it was to the point where I'm like, man, this dude might not even really be from here because I've never seen these, like or maybe it's like a magic touching his fingertips or something.

But I watched it over and over and over again.

Even those who never played with Curry were feeling his impact in and around the league. You heard Trey Young discussing stuff at the top of this episode. Young was constantly compared to Curry during his final year at Oklahoma and as he was preparing for the draft in twenty eighteen. It immediately placed added pressure on Young, given that he was really the first prospect to regularly hear those comparisons.

Yeah, I mean for me, I never like shot away from it. But for me, like I never asked for it.

Like I was.

I was in college, a freshman in college and just playing my game, and I would turn on ESPN, and that's what people were labeling me as as the next STEPH Curry because I was the only, I don't know, light skinning point guard out there shooting threes and dropping down. So I don't know what it was, but that's that maybe what it was.

And for me, when you're a kid.

And that's one of the guys you lived up to and when you're an idol, was just like, oh this is this is cool whatever. But you know, I mean, that wasn't the only guy looked up to as much as he was where my role model, And so I never went out and said I hated it or whatever, but I just succepted it what it is, and that's kind of how it was. And I just I know, I created my own lane, and that's what I was going to do the whole time.

In the modern era, there have been very few players who are considered to have changed the game. Michael Jordan changed the way people thought about guards and that he didn't need a dominant big man to win at a high level. Shaquille O'Neal was so dominant and the paint it forced his own defenses to be allowed. In the NBA, Curry is often included on that list of game changers. Another of Curry's former teammates, Jabey McGee, believes Steph might actually top that list.

I believe he might have the biggest impact on the game of the game of basketball, second to literally Ladysmith, just because who was trying to even shoot shots that he was shooting Like he.

Had kids coming down.

In fourth grade trying to shoot four pointers. It's stuff that we didn't even think we was legal or like we could do before step started doing it. If we shot some of the shots that he shot, we already knew were coming out the camp, even if we made it.

So the impact that he had in the game was truly no one had.

People doing okay, So if you put in the aspect of okay, this player.

Dunks and blah blah.

Everybody came down and some people will never dunk in their life, but everybody can attempt to shoot, not saying they're gonna make him, not saying they're good. But he had everybody in their mothers trying to shoot threes, and threes.

Weren't even a thing like that.

To the fact that that's how the NBA is now is more three oriented because of analytics. That's a definition of changing the game, and that's a definition of doing something that we didn't think this possible until you did it, And we had no idea that you could actually get those mean threes up until Steph and his team did it.

Back in this twenty one to twenty two season, Steph and his team still had more work to do. The next big moment after Curry broke the three point record was getting Thompson back in the fold after two and a half years of nursing injuries. That day came on January ninth at Chase Center against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson would play twenty minutes, take eighteen shots, and score seventeen points in a heartwarming return.

They play down the lane.

We'll put it up.

See the hand time too.

I told you first shot, Why pin down?

Just turn the corner.

Lady's got Jared Allen on the switch.

He went to reach.

They played down the lane.

I think he's healthy. Yuh bow, Soony, come double another steel?

Play for three?

Here we go.

Oh oh, it's feels familiar, doesn't it.

This wouldn't be the play a bowl. Who would expect that after so much time off? And it was evident in his shooting numbers. It was just thirty two regular season games he played, but Thompson shot under forty percent from three for the first time in his career. And while Clay's return did bring back championship memories, it came

Step and Marcus are going for the loose ball.

Marcus dies and he goes right into steps knee.

I mean he just hit the floor first.

I understand seeing Steve curR is bad because it's a superstar.

But if you hustle, you, if.

You're hitting the floor like that, it is That wasn't a chop boning for the Bault.

The play itself drew immediate ire from Steve Kerr, who actually shouted at Smart for some time after the play. Curry wouldn't play another game in the regular season. The Warriors had built up a decent cushion with their strong start to the season, but still needed to win the final five games of the season to secure the number

Guys coming out and that play was coming back. So it was like a lot of a lot of like weird combinations. Well, Steve was trying to light else trying to figure out who's gonna work best in it.

You know, I think it's tested. It's one that you know. He came up the bench and was like alleeneen. The kind of fell off.

Then Steph Curry also quietly unveiled a now signature celebration in that Denver series. According to Curry, he had been giving himself a pep talk earlier in the game, saying it was time to put this game and maybe the series to bet. So after Curry hit a layout that made the score one sixteen to one eleven. With forty seconds left in Game three, he put his two hands together by the side of his face and quickly gave the first night Night celebration the twenty four year No.

The rack Denver Game three in twenty twenty two, Me and Andre there was one possession right before I made a layou down the stretch, like less than a minute left. He was up on the sideline. He was barking at everybody, and I was like, no, I got this, put him asleep right now, And I said that to him. It just mouthted. I didn't do the sign or other and I made the layerup, but I did like a little quick of the first quick Night Night and then it kind of just evolved from there.

Later in these playoffs, that celebration would be Steph's version of a championship dack. In the second round, the Warriors faced the Young Bridglies team led by John Moran, Jaron Jackson Junior, and Dylan Brooks. Curry and the Warriors were the more poised team and won in six.

Helps.

His half to Curry Curry three.

He got.

Market time of cat hurry a little sawing the ways.

In the conference finals, they faced a surprise Dallas team led by Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunston. Those Mavericks put up less of a fight in the Grizzlies as the Doves advanced in five games.

Britain current hole.

There's crowdies bat they're on their feet and their.

Warriors are going to the NBA finals of kame.

Here's Luke.

Uh just like you know, after being beating Denver.

Yeah, like, as each round was growing, we it seemed like we had the most experience. You know, we got both in Steph Tremont Clay, even myself.

You have been in a lot of big games.

And you know, as our far young guys that was at the time was Moses JK JP Higgs keeping the veteran We haven't played in the playoffs that many times.

So I think each round our confidence group and then who else.

Who's going up against you know, that was young as well, so that MiFi team that was pretty young, Dallas team that was pretty young.

So we felt like man was supposed to win these games, and uh know.

And whenever we did, Spider a little bit stuff putting on the cap and carriers. So I think it all worked out, and I think each series with that confidence, and it all came together in perfect time and in the final when we felt like the ultimate confidence for our team.

Waiting for the Warriors in the finals this time was the Boston Celtics, who had just taken out the top seeded Miami Heat in seven games and appeared poised to win a championship. The Warriors had the home court edge, but lost Game one in San Francisco. Golden State ratcheted up the defense for Game two, holding the Celtics to thirty eight percent shooting to even the series at one game apiece.

Colts of.

Game three would be a series changer. The Celtics would win to take another lead in the series, but a couple of late game occurrences seemed to trigger Kurry. First, he injured his footing the same foot he injured against the Celtics earlier in the season, and he also heard the constant berating of Draymond Green by the Boston craft.

You've heard over the years, fans getting on Draymond for various things. What did you think of the chance tonight and the frequency of the chance.

Par for the course, every arena you kind of get a little something. It's been like that the old playoffs and every run we've made over the course that he expects it, so no different tonight.

The signs were evident early on in Game four. Curry wasn't just chasing shots. He was animated the entire time. Whether it was a flex or a shout toward the crowd, it was clear Steph was on a particular mission. Curry's not a long distance shot. That's good, Steph.

Curry back to that long distance three and a five point lead for the Warriors.

Here's Burke.

So Steph Curry got angry Game four of that one where where he took the attention from Draymond because Draymond admitted he was a little rattled with how much vitriol the Boston fans were giving them and that his family heard that and that bothered him. So yeah, it started. Steph had to be that guy, and he loves being that guy. But usually Draymond is the one who takes that sort of attention.

Curry had everyone's attention. He put up nineteen first half points and was vocal about it. Then he put up twenty four in the second half, taking the heart out of the Celtics and the vitriol out of their craft.

Back to Curry.

Step back, three pointer, Steph Curry, throw the prey. That's a six point Warriors way.

Tied off, lost him.

Mike Green called the game and was certainly not surprised at Curry carrying his team.

There's that expression that we use a lot of time, he will not let them lose. And that was Steph Curry in those finals. He was not going to let the Warriors fall short. Whatever he needed to be able to do on any of those games, he was going to get it done. That was one of those those moments swear he plans himself and says, all right, we will not was this series.

Curry only needed sixteen points in Game five as the Warriors won at home. He'd save his best for Boston's floor once again, and in Game six, Curry capped off the magical championship run with thirty four points, seven assists, seven rebounds, and the season ending Night Night celebration that signaled STEP's fourth championship. It would also be Curry's first Finals MVP, completing the trophy collection with the one that had been missing and.

More magic here. In Game six, Currie catch it fakes, fires free pointer Steph Curry from downtown a fifteen point lead. Another thirty point Finals game for Steph Curry.

Steph Curry gets opened wide open the side, out of bounds out off a fly by sire rely in the building realizing that Chef Curry with the shot has just put you to sleep.

It's over the Golden State. Oria's returned to a familiar place. They're on top of the NBA world, the fourth title of eight years, but Dug's dynasty is still very much alive.

It was also Steve Kerrzforth title all with Steph. He acknowledged that a lot of things fell their way that postseason, but having Curry was the most important detail.

To me.

That championship was just karma. That was Steph. Karma with that guy has brought to the game, to the NBA, to the world. I think the basketball gods just decided, you know what, We're going to give him his moment.

You know, he hasn't been Finals MVP. We no longer had Kevin.

We were a good team, not a great team, but we had great.

Chemistry all year, great energy in the locker room, and we had continuity. We had no how so once we got to the playoffs, we felt like, hey, we got a shot.

And then I think everything.

Really fell our way. Matchups fell our way. We had to get by Memphis, which was a hard one. They've always been a difficult matchup for us. Once we got past them in the second round, our guys knew like we got a real shot here. And Dallas upsets Phoenix at it that was a better matchup for us.

And then I think with the Celtics, you know, they maybe.

Weren't quite ready just from an experience standpoint, and I thought our playoff experience was a.

Huge factor in that series.

But in the end, I just remember sitting there watching the Staph get his Finals MVP and win his four championship, and I'm thinking, this is the most fit thing I've ever seen in basketball, because nobody, nobody on Earth deserves us.

More than Steph Curry for what he's brought to the world.

It goes so far beyond the.

The the joy of watching him play.

You know, he's so mesmerizing, and but when I watch him, I just I just I feel like he's one of the few people in sports who really transformed culture and community. It's the way he goes about his business.

It's the.

How comfortable he is in his own skin without any pretense, with an authentic perspective.

On the world, and how lucky he is. There's this wonderful sort of combination and his personality of the arrogance that comes with making these shots that he makes, even taking them alone, is so much audacity to that, and the night night celebrations and the shimmys, and then the genuine humility. It's an incredible combination. It doesn't really exist,

And some of the unique ways he.

Has impacted people in his life, it's just stunning.

When you reach amounts out of I mean, you get injuries, very breaks, all that stuff. The goal is see so far away when you just focus on the present work, get around the right eyes still keep that paid.

Three years later, almost of the week.

Seven years ago to the day he got a first.

One, not Yes, what that surprising twenty twenty two title did was elevate Curry to an even higher stratosphere. No longer were there questions about his ability to carry a team. Now the conversations were more about his place in history. Is he a top five player of all time? Is he the best point guard of all time? Is he even a point guard? Because of his scoring prowess? Kevin

In our generation. He is certainly the greatest point guard, greatest shooter. But I think there's no doubt he's a top ten player. Is he the best point guard of all time? You have to ask that question, You absolutely have to. I grew up watching all the VHS tapes. Yes, I'm dating myself as an eighty eight baby. But I watched Magic, but I never got to see him live, so I can't compare the two. Like obviously, Lebron is more of that comparison in terms of style of play.

Have changed it. Four championships, unanimous MVP couple MVPs, greatest shooter of all time, and a record that'll never be broken, consistent and consummate winner.

I mean, he's very very high on my list.

And it's another guy that, like again I just talk about, like you know, complimenting and giving people their flowers. I can't say enough good things about him. And also with how he's done it too. He's it's just been amazing year after year to watch him. And obviously it was on the wrong side of a lot of what I just mentioned, but again, that respect level is, you know, there's no ceiling for that when it comes to stuff.

To David Lee, a teammate of Curry's, for the first championship, the league today is effectively a reflection of that twenty fifteen Warriors team, and that in itself shows how much of an impact Curry has had.

I think that the NBA is really a copycat league, and I think that Golden State twenty fourteen twenty fifteen was the first one of the first teams to play that small ball, but to really optimize. Shooting a ton of threes was small ball, and you had groups that tried it in the past. The problem with the copycat league is you need guys like Step that don't miss shots. Otherwise you just have a bunch of guys bricking threes and it doesn't work. But I think it really introduced

That change in the game.

And there's very few players or teams that can say that they kind of shifted the way a sport has played. And I think that the team ten years ago that won the first championship for the Warriors in the modern era can make that claim.

Since that twenty fifteen championship, the Warriors have effectively won titles with three different iterations of their team. The initial championship that Lee claims really changed the game behind movement, shooting and the tricky part, a stellar defense.

And it's over.

The championship is back in the Bay for the first time in forty years.

Then there were the Durant era championships. They added an unstoppable offensive force to an equation that had already worked. Then there was the twenty twenty two title, which will likely go down as one of the greatest anomaly championships in the history of the sport. And they won that behind the power of Steph Curry and a collective winning experience that no other team could match.

With four titles of the last eight years, the run is not done. The Golden State Warriors once again are NBA champions.

The real question following the twenty twenty two title was similar to the end of the twenty nineteen season. Will this franchise be able to extend this run atop the league or have we seen the last of Curry's championship celebrations. Is there a Michael Jordan like last dance for Curry, Green Cerr and those core Warriors. Hey Kerr was on those final Bulls Championship teams. He can effectively recreate the

Just how ironic one of the worst road teams in the NBA during the regular season, we'll have the biggest road win of the playoffs as Curry lays it up on a fifty point Game seven for Steph Curry.

And focus on the details of how you're trying to execute. We trust each other, everybody that's out there on the floor. We had great energy off our bench. You know, everybody who played came in with the right intentions. There's a lot of conversation and communication and togetherness on the bench, which is huge for us. And everything was connected. So when that happens and then you're on the court and you have clarity of a well, what you're trying to do, you know.

Good things usually happen.

And it was a great time to kind of put it all together on the road in Game seven.

But the Warriors would lose to the Lakers in the second round in six games, ending hope of a second back to back run for Steph and the Warriors. The twenty twenty three to twenty four season wouldn't get any better. The Warriors traded Pool to Washington in exchange for former rival Chris Paul Draymond Green spent the season crossing lines.

Playoffs, and they can't like the beam here in Sacramento, and they're gonna do just that. Two great friends Mike Brown and Steve hurr Ill embrace.

That meant the Warriors would face a very difficult decision that offseason. Would Clay Thompson, the franchise fixture and four time champion, be re signed as he entered unrestricted free agency. With the Warriors in a difficult financial situation and believing Clay's best days were well behind him following two devastating leg injuries, it appeared the writing was on the wall for a Thompson departure. He spoke about the idea of leading the Warriors following the twenty four season.

Oh Man on twenty nineteen, Well, could you imagine if they didn't pay me after I got hurt?

That would have been really bad?

Oh With the five straight finals.

You blew your knee out.

Yeah, sorry, So.

No, I mean that was very nice in them.

I mean I try.

I mean every year I give my best effort, and ownership group has been great. I have nothing but positive things to say about them. They treat us like I treat us with great respect and do all the little things for us to do our jobs at the highest level. So it's been I mean, I don't really know how to answer that.

I mean, it's up to them.

But at the end of the day, whatever happens' small gravy, it's been such a freaking special run.

On July sixth, twenty twenty four, Thompson officially joined the Dallas Mavericks as a part of a sign in trade. The Warriors got back Kyle Anderson and Buddy Healed in the move, looking to create a winner post Clay, but it wasn't until another in season trade was made that dynasty rejuvenation talk started. The Warriors traded Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a first round pick to the Miami Heat for

Jimmy Butler, Okay, how has it been so far? It's been incredible. He's bought a purpose back to this this organization. I think, you know, we were kind of headed in the wrong direction thinking we're figuring it out and never figuring it out this year. Throughout the course of this year and since he's been here, we walked into every game thinking and believing that we're going to win that game, and that goes a long way in this league. But you walk in the game like, ah, man, we're probably.

Going to lose this game.

It's not good. And so he's brought back that belief and I think we're going to win the championship.

Say that one more time so than everybody here say that.

I didn't hear you my ear piece because they added Jimmy Butler the third.

So I'm sorry.

I said, I think we're going to win a championship, but I lie, we are going to win the champions wing tray.

Even former Golden State great Chris Mullen was believing the Warriors could make a run after he watched Butler's addition enhance the team's defense and their ability to control the game from the free throw line.

I mentioned little earlier.

You know, we talked about, you know, analytics, the free throw, how important free throws are too, offensive basketball and defensive basketball. Back when I was a kid, we were always taught the biggest weapon was drawing fouls.

Yep, you get so much positive things.

From a foul. Obviously, you get points, you get to set your defense, you get to rest, you get to communicate with your teammates, all for drawing a foul. And during his time of analytics, where you said, you know, open two point shots should be layups, the free throw is kind of taking a back seat to the three point shot. Now, nothing wrong with wide open threes, I love them. But when you have a balanced attack of freeze, fast break points, points off turnovers, nice layups pull up

That's drastic Golden State managed to nab the seventh seed and upset the second seeded Rockets, but a hamstring injury to Curry derailed the second round against Minnesota and the Warriors were knocked out in five games. But it was Curry's performance late in the regular seat and throughout that series against Houston that has the Warriors still believing their dynasty isn't over just yet. For those who've been around Curry, as long as Mullen has, his presence alone gives the

To me, the way he's handled himself off the floor is as extraordinary as the way he's performed, and that's an incredible dynamic. And so for me, you know, I obviously get to cover their games. I love watching him play, but I'm always as impressed how he treats his teammates,

Curry's global impact is difficult to measure. His influence goes beyond basketball, whether it's through his philanthropic efforts or entrepreneurial ventures, but it's on the basketball court where his magnetism is at its strongest. He showed as much to the world during the twenty twenty fourth Summer Olympics when he closed out both Serbia and France with ridiculous shooting efforts, then celebrating with his signature night Night celebration that everyone was

That's some beauty of stuff, as he's got a lot of little kid in him and there's nothing that's like calculated or unauthentic about him.

So the celebrations comes from deep within and they just kind of show up.

I think sometimes he almost.

Looks bad and giggles out him and says, I wish I wouldn't have done that.

Maybe you know that I'm guessing, but he's pretty humble at times, but it comes out the.

Spirit comes out on the floor.

So you know, those are all authentic celebrations of many of them, Many of them stuck.

Will also stick around forever are the stories of just how great a human Curry has been. Out this entire experience, you've heard several folks discuss how step has changed the game while lifting a once down trodden Warriors franchise to the height of sports success for more than a decade. But if you keep digging, there are even more stories along the way that displayed just how that humble superstar brought joy to others around him just because he could.

Entertaining basketball?

But it's we're both supposed to do.

Down.

I don't want to say quiet.

That was Ryan Curry. She's twelve now, and I might have guessed if I now, but she was named after Larry Riley himself. But first, of course, Steph had to ask for permission. Here's Larry Riley.

I was really surprised Steph had no problems to speak of.

And he came to my office and came in and sat down and.

Talked to me and he said, we're going to have our first child and we're thinking about naming a Riley. What would you think about Well, I just that moved me away, and Steph and I had a good relationship and probably a little closer than with most.

Corecourse that I was around.

I enjoyed his dad and his parents were His parents were really really solid in the upbringing of their children, and.

I just I had a lot of respect for him.

And when he came in and mentioned that, it did blue me what.

I was honored with that question whether or not this Dub Dynasty continues with any more championships, Curry's legacy as the centerpiece of a run that may never be duplicated has long been cemented, partially because of gestures just like that one. Thanks for listening to Dub Dynasty. Dub Dynasty is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.