NBA ALL-STAR MEDIA DAY

February 19, 2022

Steph Curry

Media Day Press Conference

Q. What about this All-Star Game experience? I know it's not your first time, but this time it's the 75th anniversary, it's a little bit more special maybe.

STEPH CURRY: It definitely is. All-Star Weekend is always special. To be recognized as the best in the league and represent your team, your family, come here, enjoy all the festivities, experience the city different than when you come here and there's a road game to play, all those type of things, it's always something you look forward to, the game especially.

But like you said, this year with the 75th Anniversary Team and even the HBCU Classic going on right here, there's a lot of different things to kind of look forward to.

Yeah, it never really gets old, and I hope it never does.

Q. You've been selected one of the top 75 players of all time. Do you feel like you're on the route of being one of the top five players to ever play the game?

STEPH CURRY: Well, I mean, that depends on who you're asking because every -- somebody probably has a different top -- every has a different top 5 list, just like you can argue certain guys that were left off the top 75 list and all that. So I don't really get into the rankings too much in terms of where you finish all time and all that because there's no law on that. But in terms of being in that conversation where realistically based on things you accomplish individually, championships, all the things that you play for in this league, once you build a resume like that, if you can just be in those type of conversations and get the respect from your colleagues, players that have played before, the different legends that know the game and have respect for the way that you play and what you've done, that's all that matters to me.

Even coming here, you feel that love. Like you see someone in the most respectful way, some of the old heads that go out of their way to compliment the way that you play and compliment your greatness and all that type of stuff and there's so much mutual respect there. That's all that matters at the end of the day to me, and hope to have the ability to continue to add to that resume as I keep going.

Q. You guys are going into the second part of the season, obviously looking to win a championship. I've seen you struggle a little bit with teams that have big centers, dominant centers. How do you feel like your team will manage that during the Playoffs?

STEPH CURRY: Well, I mean, right now we obviously have two guys out that can help in terms of Draymond and potentially James Wiseman, who is coming back from injury. Our team at the beginning of the season was constructed with those two guys, with the expectation that they're available, and until we kind of see that, it's hard to really judge what we're going to look like going into a playoff series.

You feel like you can find different ways to combat that, but as of right now, it's kind of hard to answer that question just in terms of it's going to take everybody to step up while they're out. But you want to be whole as quickly as possible to be able to answer that question better.

Q. You're on an All-Star team with four MVPs. When you think about the talent in the league right now, how do you feel like it's compared to throughout your career? What level of talent do you feel you see right now across the league?

STEPH CURRY: It's probably at an all-time high in terms of some of the young guys who are stepping into All-Star-level basketball. You've got a lot of first-timers here who are so deserving of the honor. They've made huge leaps. But then you've also got like myself, Bron, CP, guys that have been around for a long time that are trying to still do it. Probably a couple other guys would be here if it weren't for injury and stuff like that.

It's the guys trying to extend their prime as long as they can and trying to still play at that level. You've got the young crop of first-timers and just elite athletes and elite superstar talents that are coming into their own and everywhere in between. The competition is crazy across the board.

I think that's part of what makes this weekend special. You get everybody in the same room, you have fun, hype each other up but then know in like two months everybody is going to be butting heads trying to get to the top of the mountain.

The league is in good hands right now.

Q. I want to ask you about brother-to-brother connection in the NBA because many brothers play on different teams. How do you guys follow each other, like checking stats, watching games? When you text each other, do you talk about basketball or just general stuff?

STEPH CURRY: No, about life. Basketball comes up for sure because it's what we do, it's what we love. I check my bro's stats every game he's playing if I'm at home or have the ability. If I'm not playing, I'm usually watching it on League Pass or whatever. There's always keeping tabs on each other.

He's so proud of the way he's playing, and even after this trade, getting comfortable in Brooklyn and all that, so it's a little different. But we're always checking in with each other, and anytime he's got a good game, is getting hot, whatever, I'm locked in on what he's doing.

Q. How did you like the MSG comeback this week?

STEPH CURRY: That was special. We were playing that night so I didn't really get to see it, but I checked in after the game. Seems like he's pretty comfortable in his new environment already.

Q. There's a lot of emphasis on HBCUs this weekend. How important is it for you as a player and the other All-Stars to highlight HBCUs?

STEPH CURRY: It's extremely important. It's been important. I know in these last two years especially there's been a heightened awareness and visibility and deservedly so on how special HBCUs are in this country, the history, the alumni base, just prominent figures and culture in society and all the different industries that have come out of HBCUs and just shedding a positive light on what they have to offer and increasing the investment in those universities and colleges.

I think it's important that the NBA continues to show and be a leader in that respect in terms of continuing that conversation, continuing that spotlight. Us as players, we have -- I know like CP, myself, some other guys who have either made personal commitments to programs that are important to them or that they have a connection with, mine is even outside of basketball, it's in golf, and just try to create opportunities through that.

I know that's going to continue to grow in terms of anything that you're passionate about or anything that you want to kind of double down on in terms of attention and financial commitments or just bringing a group together that's going to support whatever initiative that you're passionate about, like that's always going to continue.

I'm glad the NBA is taking this weekend and a lot of other opportunities to highlight that, as well, and hopefully a lot of good comes out of that.

Q. You mentioned your commitment to Howard with the golf team. Do you think there will be a team in the next few years where we again see elite-level NBA top-of-the-draft guys coming out of HBCUs?

STEPH CURRY: It would not surprise me at all. I think that comes with continued effort to highlight the -- again, the alumni base, the success, just the different stories that have come out of these HBCUs, and again, the investment in the athletic programs that can support that type of talent and create a new lane of opportunity where it's not a surprise that somebody could go -- five-star, four-star recruit could go to an HBCU, have an amazing experience, have amazing coaching, get a great education and then find their way into the NBA, NBA Draft, and that be more of the norm and not so much the exception to the rule.

Would not surprise me. I know that's part of what this is all about is validating that, and it's going to obviously take a couple athletes that take a leap of faith in that respect, too. It's on the program, it's on people that are investing in the programs to continue to support that and make it as real of an opportunity as possible.

I hope, like Morgan State and Howard here playing in this game, putting them on a stage and making the spotlight as big as possible, that continues to help validate that, as well.

Again, it wouldn't surprise me.