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GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 26, 2016Stephen CurryOakland, California Q. Obviously some stuff going on in your hometown of Charlotte. Where do you stand on, A, the demonstrations or protests, and what do you want to say to your people back in Charlotte? STEPHEN CURRY: I respect everybody's voice, everybody's platform. And the opportunity to -- and right to protest what they feel in their heart is something they want to change. So I respect what Colin is doing, I respect the message that he's fighting for. And I hope all the spotlight is on that particular message and the things that we can do to make changes that are blatantly obvious that need change. So going forward it's not about who is standing and who is doing this and that, it's about what Colin and other guys, what the message is, what -- who won't stand for anymore. And about Charlotte, it's another experience and opportunity for people to use their voice. The first night in Charlotte it turned that way, and that's tough to see, especially growing up in that city. I know that's not what we're about, who we are, as Charlotteens, and you never want to be in that negative spotlight. But as it went forward everything was very constructive and productive. So obviously praying for the Keith Scott family, the officer's family, the people that are going through some very tough situations right now. But also just for the city -- the city understands they can use their voice and they should do that. But violence is never going to solve anything. Q. What was the season like for you as you recovered from your injuries and how hard was it, if at all, to watch the Olympics and not be there? STEPHEN CURRY: It was mostly business as usual, with just a different perspective on the things that I worked on to get ready for this year. So I did a couple different drills. A couple different little changes, but mostly had me stay healthy as we go through the year or be healthy as we go through the year. That's about it, when it comes to the differences. But it was hard to watch those guys down in Rio, watch the opening ceremony, and the sense of pride every time they put the jersey on, going out and playing for our country. I knew that it was a decision that I don't regret, because how good it was to be able to rest. But you always want to be out there playing, especially on I big stage like the Olympics. Q. How long did well did you know Mike Brown before he got here, and what are your impressions of him as a coach? And on the flip side about that, what do you think you'll miss most about Luke? STEPHEN CURRY: I met the coach two or three times going through the league and his days in Cleveland and in LA. But I talked to him a couple of times since he signed on with us. He's a smart guys. He knows the game. That conversation with coach about adjustments we made this year, certain things he's bringing to the table or wants to bring to the table. So I don't know specifically his style and what he'll be like in practice and in the locker room and games, which hopefully will be a pretty fluid transition. But I'm looking forward to getting out there and learning from him, bouncing ideas back and forth, like you do with all the coaches and trying to get better. And obviously Luke, you know, he related really well to all the players and you always knew you were going to have fun and enjoy whatever -- whether it was practice or a game, when Luke was in the building, because he could make you have fun in any situation. So I'll miss that part of his presence in the locker room, going forward. But the coaching staff here is well equipped to lead us to where we want to go. Q. There's obviously been so much focus on this season coming, ever since the summer when you guys got Kevin, is it weird that it's finally here now and you guys are getting started? STEPHEN CURRY: This thing is always weird, no matter how your season ends, it's always -- a lot of different emotions and thoughts that go into this day, because it does mark the start of a new year. I know guys have been in the gym working out for months and months getting ready. And so there's a little bit of anxiousness, excitement. A little bit of unknown, because obviously for us it's a total different roster. And a different experience coming off of this year July versus last year July. So we're kind of just taking a shot, everything starts to flow after this year. But looking forward to another year but we're excited. Q. You guys are basically field an all star team. Is the pressure more this year than last year? And is it Championship or bust? STEPHEN CURRY: There's no more pressure than there was last year. Coming off trying to defend the regular season that we had, getting to Game 7 of the finals, that was so much fun. It's what you live for. It's what you play for. This year we're as confident as we were last year. But it will be a different journey. And our expectations are really, really high, which they should be. And we just have to kind of just get wrapped up in it. Like I say, every year on this day, you can't fast forward to April to the playoffs. You've got to stay in the moment. So for us that's even more important with the changes that we made, because we have to adjust and just take each day as an opportunity to get better. Q. LeBron James said today that he plans on -- he respects Colin, but he plans on standing for the National Anthem when you guys play on the Saturday, what do you plan to do? Also, do you have any relationship with Colin Kaepernick in this case, have you talked to him, any conversation you guys have had? STEPHEN CURRY: I plan on standing. But like I said, the way that everybody can affect the minds of the people around them and be the awareness of is what's going on without having -- without in that moment, with the National Anthem in the moment kneeling. I guess I respect column in because he took a bold step in that regard, to start -- to continue the conversation and make it more pointed. But I do plan on standing. I don't have a relationship with him. I've actually -- I met him once when I went to a game about three years ago. But like most people in the country now, they'd like to sit down and talk to him, to kind of understand his thought process in more detail, how he got to the decision of, you know, how he was going to go about his protest, and understanding more fully. And the ideas that he may have, based on who he's talked to, based on the situations that he's been in to help affect change. Because I'm sure he does have in fantastic ways of taking advantage of the moment, for sure. Q. You were saying before how it feels a little different, how this July is different than the prior one. With the way things went this summer, it almost got forgotten by people that the way the finals went. How much has that kind of stuck with you for the last couple of months and how much is that going to play into what you guys are doing this season? STEPHEN CURRY: You say people forgot? Q. I think if you guys hadn't made the moves you made this summer -- I don't mean that you forgot that was kind of what I was getting at. STEPHEN CURRY: I got you. I think when we came into last season, every year is different. You can remember the experiences, but you can't let that affect your mind, like how you prepare yourself going into this year or how you go on day 1 tomorrow. I walk in the door like it's Game 7, nobody should be thinking that way. You should think about all summer how you got yourself into a better position individually and collectively and go from there. So I know last year we weren't thinking about being on the podium coming into a new season, because we wanted to do it again. You've got to turn the page, obviously, but not forget the feelings. Q. I know you indicated you go back a ways, how much have you studied his game over the years, and the other part of the question is are there parts of his game, that you think people might be a little surprised by? Their eyes would open up to what he can do? STEPHEN CURRY: He's a well rounded player. He does score at a high rate and do it all sorts of different ways. But in the offense, where we are as a team, even before Kevin Durant, we had a flow and rhythm to it. There's not a lot of one-on-one kind of stuff. So thinking about how he'll transition into it, he can do all of that at a very high level. He can pass. He can move out the ball. I think he understands -- he's a very high basketball IQ when it comes to where he needs to be on the floor, and how he can work off other guys. And he wants to play the game the right way. I heard that come from his mouth. So that fits in right to our identity. But there's still obviously a transition when you have so much talent you've got to figure out how to blend it all. But everybody has to be at a hundred percent of themselves. There's no sacrifice, there's no changing your style or anything. It's just when it comes to the full picture of our team, you've got to take a minute to flow. Q. After a lot of praise all through last year, there was a lot of criticism about you over the summer. How did you absorb that and did you think it was fair? STEPHEN CURRY: It didn't bother me much at all. Talk about like how the finals ended, it obviously did not go our way, it didn't go my way. What are you going to do about it /STH but what's next? That's all I really think about. I never got too wrapped up in the praise, either. So it's obviously a much better feeling, but I never feed off of that, because it doesn't change how I play. It doesn't change who I am. Criticism just -- you hear it, having a human emotional reaction to it and because of how you channel it, you move on. It doesn't really bother me or affect how I go about my daily life or how I play on the court. Q. 2015 you had a crazy summer, you won the MVP title. You were all over the place. This year you were all over the place but with your wife and her book tour and all of that. Which one was more tiring? How were they different, the crazy summers? STEPHEN CURRY: They're both just amazing experiences because the things we never dreamt of doing, they're things that our passions, like I love playing basketball, she loves doing what she does in the kitchen, making recipes and connecting with people. It's all pretty natural. But it's different, for sure. I enjoyed that part of it. Just kind of watching. Q. You've had summers where you had to rehab. You've had time where you had to get your health right coming into the next season. How are you and how did this compare to past summers? Was it easier this summer? STEPHEN CURRY: It wasn't any different. Like I was saying, you have a focus things you need to work on as you go through the summer. That changes based on the situation every year. So four or five years ago is was how do I get my ankle stronger, how do I get stronger physically. Two or three years ago it was how to elevate my skill level when it comes to be a better scorer and better decision maker. This year a lot of those things but also how to get my knee healthy. The process is the same but the priorities and the focus changes based on what the needs are at that particular time. Q. What was your role in recruiting Kevin, both in text messages and there in the room? STEPHEN CURRY: Well, no secret who was in the room during his recruiting process or whatever. So I was obviously a part of that, chiming in on who we are as a team, an organization, how he would fit into what we do, how the transition would probably be. And how much I wanted to win. So all those are pretty just -- answers about how I see the situation. We stayed in contact after the meeting and I don't know how much of an effect what I said along the way had on his actual decision, but we wanted to try to have as much transparency and give him all the information that he would need to make the best decision for him, without any pressure about coming to our team or going elsewhere. You've got to go to the place you feel you fit in the best, where you feel like it's the best situation, best opportunity for you, and not worry about what anybody else says. But the people around you that you confide in. So that was basically the gist of it, without getting into too much detail. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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