	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA FINALS: CLEVELAND VS GOLDEN STATE

June 12, 2017

Stephen Curry

Oakland, California: Postgame

Warriors - 129, Cavaliers - 120

Q. To win this title at home in this building, what was that moment like to do it in front of these fans?
STEPHEN CURRY: It was unbelievable. The energy in the building from the time we stepped foot on the floor was on 12 out of 10. It was just ridiculous. Obviously there were ups and downs and runs during the game, but you always could feel like we were so close to just breaking it open. And that last three minutes was a blur just of pure emotion and energy and you could feel it.

So for us to be able to do it in front of our home crowd, something I'll remember for a very long time, and for the whole Bay Area that supported us since I've been here my rookie year, the depths of the NBA to here to world champs again, crazy, enjoy every minute of it.

Q. Who was the person who inspired you the most during your career and who do you dedicate this victory to?
STEPHEN CURRY: Personally, there's so many people that inspired me from a basketball standpoint, my career, from the time -- I played basketball since I was like five -- I always talk about my two favorite players being Steve Nash and Reggie Miller the guys that I wanted to model my game after. Amazing coaches along the way, from college, Bob McKillop, to the NBA, Mark Jackson, obviously Steve Kerr, Don Nelson, guys that have instilled confidence in me and allowed me to be who I am as a basketball player. But to be able to have my whole family here, that allowed me to do what I do on a daily basis, support me through thick and thin, to be able to share this with them, that's something that I cherish the most. So we're just getting started on that front. We're going to enjoy this entire experience being able to get the job done.

Q. To see Kevin kind of come back from the knee injury and say, hey, I have another level I can take my game and then to see him do that, how special was that to see how he played and also the camaraderie you two developed with your fierce games during practice and those things?
STEPHEN CURRY: This is what we talked about this whole year, realizing this goal and understanding how important we both would be to the equation, along with our teammates, and learned a lot about each other going through this journey. The way that he embraced the opportunity in The Finals, it was unbelievable. It's kind of crazy to think about the conversations we had this summer and going into the year about how we can both mesh and do what we do and be the players that we are and see it come to life in this series, it was unbelievable.

So we're obviously just getting started, this is something that we want to continue to do, but for us to have these conversations that we had almost a year ago and now being in this position, worth every shot we took in practice, fighting through injuries that he had this year, and it's an unbelievable feeling. I'm happy for him. You got to call Kevin Durant a champ now. He's put the time in and I'm just so happy for him to be able to realize his goal and be my teammate.

Q. KD had a lot of cool things to say about you. Called you a big dog in this series. He also talked about a lot of your sacrifice that you've had to, that you've made for this team and you being the real deal that people talk about. And Draymond said you took a back seat early and then halfway through the season you realized they don't need you to take a back seat. I wonder if you could talk about the journey, your own journey this season and the growth that you kind of went through as well to win a second title.
STEPHEN CURRY: Yeah, I learned a lot about myself as well, just understanding -- there's a point probably, we talked about it a lot this year, about the Christmas Day game and events leading up to that game where we understood how we all needed to be aggressive and be the players that we are in what we bring to the table every single night, that we can all show up every night and be ourselves and really achieve the potential that we all have together. And there's a point where I tried to analyze and control the situation and make sure everybody was happy and getting shots and things like that, but honestly after that Christmas Day game I kind of understood that we have such high IQ players that if I could be aggressive, do what I do and need to do every single night, everything will kind of flow from that. I think the proof is obviously in what we were able to accomplish from that point on in the regular season, being 16-1 in the Playoffs, everybody being the best version of themselves and putting all the puzzle pieces together.

So just happy to be a leader on this team that can understand the goals that we set out for ourselves and try to get it done the best way we could.

Q. A lot fans love you from Turkey since the time you played over there for the World Championships as well. And can you talk about the impact that Zaza had and what he brought to the team this year versus what you guys had last year going on in the center position.
STEPHEN CURRY: Going into this year we knew how important he was going to be for us, not only in the regular season, but in the Playoffs, as a physical presence and the minutes that he played. And he was huge, especially early -- I'll talk about the Finals especially early in Game 1 and 2, just being that dominant force, trying to take Tristan off the boards and do what he could in that front. We always used to make fun of his speech when he was in Atlanta after one of their playoff games, he's nothing easy. We're going into Game 7 baby, that whole thing. To be able to allow him to be a champion now and understand how important he was for our whole journey, I'm so happy for him.

David West, who we always, what he's been through in his career and the sacrifices he's made financially to chase a ring and get it done. I can see it in their eyes just how much this meant to them. They were huge pieces to us as a Warrior team going through this year and they're champs now, too, so happy for them.

Q. I remember the look on your face and the joy on your face and the champagne spraying the first title two years ago. Just curious, if you can reflect on what this one means to you, your second in three years, maybe how it's different than the first.
STEPHEN CURRY: It's different just because of what happened last year to be honest. We went through for lack of a better term, basketball hell, in that sense of just being so close to getting the job done and not realizing that goal and having to think about that for an entire year and compartmentalize and just try to keep the right perspective about this season and learn the lessons that we learned. And that's, coach always said, that's why you spray champagne on yourselves and teammates in the locker room after you win a championship, because you understand how hard it is to get this job done. No matter what people said about us going into this season, a lot of hard work went into it.

So to be able to be back in this position, be world champs again, be able to celebrate and enjoy this experience, it's unbelievable. It's hard to compare what that feeling was the first time, but it's pretty darn close. So I'm going to enjoy this whole summer that, as a champion.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297