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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKENDFebruary 14, 2016Stephen Curry Additional FileToronto, Ontario - Postgame West 196, East 173 Q. What is it like to be at the All-Star Game when you're one of the top stars and not the rising young star? STEPHEN CURRY: For me, it's the same experience. You're around 12 or 23 other amazing players in the league and each different city has a lot to offer. So just enjoy the atmosphere. The game is always fun to get out there and joke around with guys that you compete and battle against every night, and you kind of get wrapped up in that. So I don't really think about anything else. Q. Steph, this game obviously is different in terms of approach than any other game you're going to play this year. When you're kind of part of the main attractions, are you approaching it thinking you want to entertain with your shooting and that sort of stuff, or are you just kind of going out and playing? STEPHEN CURRY: I've got an idea of how I can try to help put on a show and add some flavor to the game and some behind-the-back passes and dribble moves, and then obviously what I do best is shooting, so launching them up at any opportunity that I get. Just thankful to finally make one from pretty deep out. I tried it like two or three times in the game and saved the best for last, so that's fun. Q. Steph, did you have to be convinced to take that last shot there? STEPHEN CURRY: Yeah, it was a little imaginary tug of war for that ball and the decision whether to shoot or not. So I think KD wanted it at one point, and then the crowd got into it and wanted me to shoot. Coach Popovich wanted us to shoot or one of us to shoot, and thankfully it went in and kind of finished the game off with a bang and caused some excitement. Q. Is there a single shot that you've hit this season that stands out the most as your favorite? STEPHEN CURRY: Not off the top of my head. I'd have to think about it a little more. I don't have a good answer right now for that. Q. In five years from now, maybe ten years from now, what will it be like to say that you were a part of Kobe Bryant's last All-Star Game? Is it kind of cool in the future when you're able to look back at the pictures? STEPHEN CURRY: Oh, for sure. It will definitely be special. The entire night was very memorable, for sure, with his entrance during the starting lineups and the tribute video, Magic Johnson giving a speech about Kobe and his legacy to some highlight moments during the game where he had some nice plays. Then obviously the curtain call at the end that you knew it was coming, but you didn't know what part of the game and the feel that the crowd was going to give, and it was amazing. Kind of got goose bumps out there. Kobe means something to everybody individually as a basketball fan and including us, as players. So you kind of have a lot of different thoughts about what he means to the game and how he inspired you and myself growing up. I'll remember that for sure. I haven't seen -- like they said, there will be videos and pictures down the road that we'll be in, and that will be pretty special. Q. How did you, I guess, manage the part of having fun and still going against guys who are going to come for you and your team being 48-4 down the rest of the stretch? Does that get put aside in a situation like this? STEPHEN CURRY: We try to do our best of just enjoying the moment and not bringing any other drama or competition outside of just the accomplishment and excitement about being an All-Star and what that means. Yeah, obviously, Thursday, Friday, when games start up, put our game face back on and figure out how we're going to try to finish out the season strong and go after another championship. But tonight, I think the more you come here, the easier it is to kind of just enjoy it. It's such a high stress environment everywhere we go and we play every regular season game, so to be able to just enjoy the entire night is something you want to be able to take in. Q. This is the first All-Star Game outside the United States. What is the difference between this and the others? Like we're coming from overseas, what is your opinion of international players and what they're doing in the NBA right now? Especially we have two Dominican National Team players, Karl-Anthony Towns and Al Horford? What do you think about them as international players and this All-Star Game? STEPHEN CURRY: Well, my three All-Star experiences, every city has something different to offer. I was in New Orleans, New York and Toronto, so there is a lot of different cultures that you're able to enjoy and appreciate with each city. I think the only real difference here, I've had a history with Toronto, so I knew the city very well, and it was nice to come back. I think that's the real big difference is just probably they had to check our passports at the airport. But other than that, Toronto's just a fun city and has such a great culture, great people and did a great job of hosting the All-Star Game. So I'm sure it will be -- back down the road, it will be a special time. So those two guys you talked about are very talented guys. Karl-Anthony Towns is getting started, getting his feet wet in the game, and Al Horford, being multiple All-Star guys is special. I'm sure for the country of Puerto Rico to be able to -- Q. Dominican Republic? STEPHEN CURRY: I'm sorry, Dominican Republic to support those two guys. Q. So last year's All-Star Game, you had all the spotlight on you. This year probably Kobe gets all the spotlight. What do you feel about that? STEPHEN CURRY: Deservedly so. I always talked about it, he's meant so much to the game and his last go-around, so you want to send him off the right way and enjoy that process. Q. When you see all of the other All-Stars' kids hanging around the sideline, goofing around with you guys, does that sort of remind you of the experiences you had with your father and his teammates when you were younger? And now that you're in the opposite position, does it give you a new perspective of the kind of experiences you had back then? STEPHEN CURRY: 100%, like many pictures of me sitting on my dad's lap next to Drazen Petrovic, Mitch Richmond, Coach [Don] Nelson right behind us during the All-Star Saturday night events. I have vague memories of those All-Star Weekends and such. So you see all the guys involved and their families and being able to enjoy fatherhood while we celebrate what we do for a living is very important. I think it's definitely something that we have great pride in to be able to involve our families in what we do and in the celebration. So I love it. I want to encourage all the dads to be able to do that and bring their families around. Definitely have an appreciation for that aspect of us as people and not just basketball players. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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