GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 2, 2023

Steph Curry

Media Conference

Q. What is it really like to see Chris Paul, to be scrimmaging with him, talking to him on the phone as a teammates. Has it hit you here that it's a real thing yet or has sunk in that he's here?

STEPH CURRY: Yeah, it's sunk in for sure. We got through all the pleasantries in the summer. We got together multiple times with the whole team.

Definitely is weird. Obviously you go through battles for years, and you kind of acknowledge the awkwardness of it at first. But the fact that he is who he is in terms of his career, the way that he's competed at the highest level for so long; the fact that he's motivated to help us do what we need to do this year, the way that he's approached everything has been awesome.

So there's probably going to still be moments when you get to points in the games in the regular season where you see him out here and it's like, oh, yeah, he's with us. But I think the bigger picture is that he is approaching everything the right way, and we're excited to have him. We're excited to see what changes and ways we can adapt to him in the lineup and different rotations that we can put out there.

He just knows how to play basketball, we know that, and excited to put it together.

Q. How does Klay look to you this summer and how do you feel about where he's at entering the season?

STEPH CURRY: He looks great. I know it's mostly just comparing to his experience last summer, and I think it's night and day different, even the way he's talking, by the way he approached it, and the progress that he's going through this year or this off-season; the confidence that he has in himself and his body to hit the ground running starting tomorrow in practice and leading through training camp and preseason.

So it's always a great sign when he's locked in mentally and physically, and to take advantage of the off-season, it's hard work. It's a lot of reps and a lot of commitment to the unglamorous stuff that we have to do in the off-season to prepare your body and the fact that he's speaking that game, and saying that he put the time in and it's showing in the way that we've seen him on the court makes a big difference.

Q. Have you ever played with a point guard like Chris, and what do you think playing alongside him is going to do for you?

STEPH CURRY: Well, Jason Richards back at Davidson College was the first point guard that I got to play with that was kind of pass-first and playmaker and distributor and I played off of him. That was my first two years in college, and then I was a go-to point ever since.

So never really had a guy that necessarily was with his -- with CP's skillset and the way he's elevated teams his whole career. But the beauty of the way me and Klay can play off the ball; we had Jarrett Jack for a while in the sense of, he had the ball in his hands a lot.

But obviously CP is a Hall of Famer, and we know just the talent that he is, will give us different looks. It should be pretty easy to -- whether it's from whatever lineup you're out there with or from possession-to-possession who is initiating the offense for us to kind of work off each other because in theory, again, we all understand the game and know spacing and know how to cut, how to play off of each other, our skillset to be able to shoot will open up hopefully a lot of lanes. We've got to figure out defensively in how we want to match up and all those type of things but it should be a good challenge.

Q. You've obviously been through a lot of NBA off-seasons. Are you a guy that likes to find one routine and kind of stick with it because it works or do you like to change things up to keep it fresh over the summer?

STEPH CURRY: It's a little bit of both. Change of scenery is always nice. I have my guys that I work out with and I have for over a decade, so you evolve in terms of your strategy and what you're trying to accomplish.

I think the deeper you get into your career, you realize you have to do a lot more a little bit often if that makes sense in terms of, I didn't take too much time off after the Lakers series, but it's not like you're killing yourself every day, seven-hours, eight-hour days. It's mostly just trying stay as consistent as possible so that you never really get out of shape. You just always stay primed but still find ways to get rest.

But it's always nice to shock the system a little bit with trying new things and new approaches to your on-court workout, stuff that you do in the weight room. You know what your bread and butter is and what works in terms of your routine, but you kind of have to listen to your body, too, to know what it needs, and that's the challenge of trying to extend your prime for as long as you can, and being honest with yourself about what work needs to go into your routine to prepare yourself for a season.

Q. I think LeBron and KD today committed to the Olympics. Sounds like you were part of those conversations at least at some point in the summer. Are you ready to commit to the Olympics yet or do you know?

STEPH CURRY: I talked to some people about the opportunity, and definitely if all things stay the same, I want to be playing. It's the one thing I haven't done, and I also understand the opportunity for Team USA to kind of reassert themselves as dominant in the world and all that type of stuff.

Definitely want to be there. Definitely want to be on the team. Hopefully things line up that way where we're all there.

Q. And Warriors-wise, and it wasn't a full roster reconstruction over the summer but you tweaked around the edges and with Chris. What are your thoughts on what you're bringing this year?

STEPH CURRY: There's always excitement as players. That's what we control is the ability to have confidence in yourselves and what -- who is in the locker room and what we all bring and the fact that we all can compliment each other. That confidence I think goes a long way.

We have a certain way of playing that we've -- we know has led to success and we want to continue to double-down on that.

But I think we are all in a position to know, we have a lot to figure out in terms of what those new looks, like CP, what Dario brings, Cory Joseph, guys that have been around the league for a long time, and again, are veterans, know how to play, true professionals, how we all gel and what that chemistry looks like when it comes to actually in between the lines.

Training camp, we say it every year, and for different reasons, this year it's because we have new faces that are going to be important pieces to our actual rotation on a nightly basis but training camp is going to be huge for us to make sure we're giving ourselves a great chance to get off to a great start. Because compared to last year, that was a big thing, a big hurdle to overcome, our road woes that we had at the start of the season, and the difference between 18-2 two years ago and where we were last year; we liked the former experience a little bit better.

Q. Otto Porter, Jr. was an important piece for you guys two years ago. Can you see Dario having a similar impact, and what might excite you the most about playing with Dario?

STEPH CURRY: I mean, they are two different guys. I hate to do a comparison but that is a role that you need in terms of a guy that can space the floor, a guy that can obviously knock down open shots.

He presents a bit of size for us, as well, and he also, just -- again, he kind of knows how to play in a motion-style offense. He's doing it a little bit in his international play over the summer but even back in Phoenix when he was there in CP, talked to him about the way he sees the game; it's very similar to the way we play.

Playing pickup the other day and somebody threw him the ball, and he did an immediate DHO with me and I didn't have to say anything. It was like one of those pieces of just playing good basketball that he figured out and knows without you having to tell him. So that's a good start on a role that we really need because he understands just how to play. When you can shoot and you know how to play and you fill a position of need for us, that's huge for us.

Q. Chris just joked that he saw himself in a Warriors uniform for the first time during a state form commercial?

STEPH CURRY: He said what?

Q. He said the first time he put the Warriors uniform?

STEPH CURRY: That's why hes with a in the neighborhood that, street? I was trying to figure that out, where was he at. Okay. Makes sense now.

Q. What do you think of him in that uniform?

STEPH CURRY: It looks good. It looks good. I like it, as opposed to the opposition for sure.

Q. That all being said, you've played your whole career in one uniform. You love history of the game. How important is it for you to have done everything in a Warriors uniform and continue and finish as a Warrior for life, hopefully with Draymond and Klay as you guys keep going for championships?

STEPH CURRY: I said it before; it means everything. I'm in my 15th year. No need for a change of scenery at this point. Just a matter of, like you said, be in a position where it's not a ceremonial thing. We're really here to win, and I'm doing everything I can to continue to be a leader on that front and perform at a high level and put ourselves to be in position to be championship contenders.

You know, you can't control everything and you can't guarantee anything in this league, and every team is trying to get better. That's the nature of the competition, but if I can keep doing that every year, and like you said, still represent this organization, all that we've built. It's a dream come true.

Q. Curious what sparked your interest in the Mac Dre documentary, and secondly, can you talk about some of your favorite moments, not family involved over the summer that you enjoyed the most? I saw you on Hot Ones; I saw you in Toby's video. You were really busy. So back to the Mac Dre question first.

STEPH CURRY: I mean, having played in Oakland for ten years, and understood the history of the city, obviously from music industry to rap game, the culture that exists there, Mac Dre's story is a special one and kind of embodies a lot of what the spirit of Oakland is. Obviously I never met him. But the things we're doing in the media space to be able to tell the stories that need to be told and to be a part of projects that speak to individuals that change the game, that is what I'm about.

So we're just giving a platform to hopefully tell his story in the most meaningful, impact way, with his family, everybody that knew him, worked with him, people that were influenced by him. It's creating that platform and that opportunity for that story to be told. It's an easy one, and I know looking forward to the project whenever it's ready to come out.

In the summer, it was special, kind of in the same vein. Basketball was opening a lot of doors and I had some amazing experiences on the golf course with family and traveling and all that, all the while, making sure I'm preparing for this season. A lot of it is kind of exposed for the world. Some of it wasn't. But I had a lot of fun, and you know, summer's over now.

Q. Obviously Draymond signs the extension, he's going to be here for a long time. You're going to be under contract for a long time but Steve and Klay are both entering their final years. How important is it to you to see those guys sign long-term relatively soon?

STEPH CURRY: If it was my decision, they would be here forever. Like that's part of, again, what we've built and the confidence that we have of what's ahead of us.

So I know how the business works and timing of everything matters; contracts, negotiations and conversations with get a little murky at times.

But I think at the end of the day, take Draymond's situation, for example. I mean, different narratives came out of that for the last two years of what was going to happen with him and where he was going to be mand is this his last year and all that. Try not to get too caught up in the day-to-day of that, and just understand how much he means to this organization and thankfully got it done. Hope the same and know the same will happen with Steve and with Klay.

I would say our job is to go out and make that an easy decision. That's what we're about.

Q. Draymond said that there's a different sense of urgency in the off-season after a championship year versus a non-championship year. How did you feel that sense of urgency heading into this off-season or a difference in urgency?

STEPH CURRY: Yeah, four extra weeks to work with and you're watching basketball, you're not used to that. Usually if you're in the Finals, however it plays out, that's the end of it. When you're watching it, it just gives you a different motivation and different fuel to the fire.

To me, that's really all you really need. That's the start of the journey of how are you approaching this off-season; what's the goal, not just individually how you're preparing yourself mentally and physically but as a team, how are we making the most of the time. We got together I think three times this summer as a group. Played pickup. Hung out. Tried to create a bond that can transition into training camp and the rest of the season, and hopefully that makes a difference with how we start the year.

But trying to do everything you can to control, or control the controllables, if you will, on what will put us in position to be successful this year knowing what we do is hard. There's high expectations and a standard that we've set over the course of these years, and we have to continue to try to live up to it.

Q. Congratulations on the hole-in-one.

STEPH CURRY: Appreciate it.

Q. Callaways work for you in Dubai?

STEPH CURRY: A little muggy, but we got it done.

Q. Incorporating rookies has been a challenge playing with the style of the Warriors. Can you tell us how you'll help Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis find minutes this year to help you guys out?

STEPH CURRY: The message is always your opportunities, you don't know when they are going to come, and to be in a position where you can be prepared for that opportunity and understand what impacts winning basketball.

Like it's a hard lesson to learn as a young guy because you have a certain way, a certain style of play maybe that got you to this point. You have a certain way of seeing the game that you're comfortable with but you might be asked to do something entirely different.

Podziemski maybe was a go-to scorer and Mr. Do It All for Santa Clara last year, and he might just be asked to lock up 94 feet and just turn a guy four or five times for two to three minutes a game or he might be asked to do more. He might be asked to show up in practice and challenge us to get better.

Like whatever he's asked to do, you have to be able to respond to that, and it's not glamorous at times. It's not easy but it sets you up for the next stage of increasing your role.

If you buy into it, and Coach is very straightforward when it comes to that, that's the situation, and the regular season will reward you in the long run.

So hopefully whatever that is, they can buy into it and understand it will help us win and when we win, everybody wins.

Q. Draymond was in here earlier talking about how Chris is one of those guys on the other team, he's one of the hated guys on the other team. This team, he's the hated guy. You've got two of those guys on one team. Can that work in a positive way for the team's general intensity over the course of the season, having two guys that bring it like that?

STEPH CURRY: For sure it will help us internally. Understanding, like, the vibe in practice, the sense of accountability, and making sure all the energy is put towards winning.

And then if those two guys can focus that energy on the court when it comes to games, doing exactly that, making everybody hate them and making us love them, I know they can keep each other accountable to that energy, as well. That's going to make a huge difference and give them an edge and give us an edge.

The one thing is I know they have been pretty open about talking about it to each other, like how they are going to try to help each other out on that front. Because neither one of them is not going to stop talking, and that's a good thing as long as it's channelled in the right direction.

Q. You had a relatively long off-season compared to previous off-seasons. How do you balance training, doing what you want to do away from training and not over-training? How do you find that balance?

STEPH CURRY: I mean, experience helps. Just because you know how to listen to your body. First thing is you need a strategy going in, and it's not just me looking at a piece of paper looking at the calendar saying, this is what I need to do, I have some very -- I have some experts in the fields that can kind of guide you in terms of what needs to -- what boxes need to be checked throughout the off-season so that you do exactly what you said. Know you're prepared but you don't need to feel like you're in the gym for eight hours a day, which might have some diminished returns on that front.

It's a little bit of both, understanding what you're trying to get out of the summer and talking to the right people to help design what that looks like and then staying accountable to that process throughout the summer. Knowing those are the hardest moments when you get a little bit further away from the season but so far away from when training starts, those days, middle of July, August, are hard because it kind of get a little monotonous; and the distractions of the fun of the summer can kind of creep in, too. So you have to have the balance of everything.

Q. Do you feel like a youngin' with two guys, two teammates now, in their late 30s, a little bit?

STEPH CURRY: CP and Rudy, that's right. Two guys that I've known for a very long time, and I've never seen them -- they have been older bro, but never seen them like that, so it's kind of weird. I've known both of them since I was in high school. So it's going to be fun to -- yeah, fight Father Time for as long as we can but not talk about it too much because we still feel young.

Q. And what can Rudy do for Kuminga and what kind of opportunities do you see for Kuminga and being able to lean on Rudy's experience a little bit?

STEPH CURRY: I think JK is going to help himself by doing everything he knows he needs to do. There's no secret anymore. It's just going out and competing at a high level, using his athleticism, his understanding of the game and what these last three years have shown him to say, okay, it's time to take that next step.

There's going to be opportunity for him, a lot of guys. Rudy, what he learned from Andre last year, the last two years, to you go down the list in our locker room, he can find something to pick from anybody in terms of perspective. But all that matters is him going out and having confidence in himself. He's put in a lot of work this summer.

Super excited for him to come in and find his way and do it consistently. I know everybody has confidence in him to do that. It's not just on one person it's happening to. It's for him to just step into his role and do it to the best of his ability.