NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 15, 2022

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

Practice Day

Q. When you're this deep into a playoff series, how important is that mid-range creation that Andrew Wiggins gives you?

STEPHEN CURRY: It's important what everybody gives us. I think there's adjustments from game to game that you either prepare for or you kind of meet head on in the middle of a game.

You need everybody's skill set to create space, to create flow, create good shots. To your point, you need Wiggs to shine when he's attacking the basket or when he's taking a one-on-one matchup with space to be able to get a good look and keep the flow and the momentum our way.

There's a reason he fits well with what we do, and has a specific way of impacting the game for us on both ends of the floor, but obviously offensively as well.

Q. You were in the back of the room listening to that last Klay answer. What was your perspective on the plane ride?

STEPHEN CURRY: After whatever it has been, 10, 11 years, there's a lot of stories and a lot of comedy on a daily that we could talk about.

All the personalities are so different. Everybody comes from different backgrounds. But we've all jelled around a collective unit of how we do things, whether it's in the locker room, on the plane, the hotels, like whatever it is. We know how to have fun and jell and keep things light, but also understand what we're trying to do and why it all matters in terms of winning games.

Klay has a great way of explaining that, though. I just love his perspective on a lot of things.

Q. Has anything surprised you about Andrew's postseason run from the perspective that coming into this year he played in only one playoff series his entire career?

STEPHEN CURRY: It's amazing what you do with opportunity. Take away the comparisons, the narratives around him as a number one pick, what everybody wanted him to be, his first six years in the league looked like. There's a reason we wanted him here. There's a reason that trade made sense for us. There was a high hope that he would be able to figure it out at this level in terms of taking his scoring ability, his athleticism, his defensive potential, just taking it to another notch.

There were bright spots that first year, even though we only had I think maybe 10, 15 games, whatever it was. Then last year, taking another stride in terms of his consistency on a daily basis. This year, he's an All-Star starter. He's shining on the brightest of stages in the playoffs. You can tell how much he's enjoying it. It's just amazing to see things working out in his favor in terms of kind of dispelling all the narratives around him and who he is as a basketball player right in front of your eyes.

Q. As someone who has been a Red Sox fan, you embodied in a lot of ways the same stature in San Francisco that David Ortiz embodied in this city. When you were watching that team as a younger man, did you take anything from the way he carried himself, the way he interacted with the city that has been part of who you've been in a similar role?

STEPHEN CURRY: I wouldn't necessarily say I learned. I was just inspired by it. Seth Curry is the big Yankees fan. I'm the Red Sox fan. Growing up in North Carolina, I never got to come up here and go to games or anything. You just watched, enjoyed the history. Those iconic moments that Big Papi was always a part of, even the championship moments, the way that he was kind of an ambassador for the city, spokesman for the city, just the I guess reception and chemistry he had with this town.

All of that is inspiring, for sure. I had a raver of a bachelor party at a Red Sox game back in 2011. I got to go to two games in the interleague series against the Cubs. Got to connect with him for the first time and meet him. Gave me a bat. Got to go into the depths of the Green Monster and just see the atmosphere and the culture that he was trying to continue as an iconic Red Sox player.

All that stuff mattered. It was just dope to have that kind of come full circle, for sure. Pretty special career, obviously, that he had.

Q. Kerr was basically saying he doesn't know how Klay has the success as Game 6 Klay. How do you see that from Klay and how he has done in these moments? And given how Draymond said that he expects you to be livid heading into this game, do you feel like you can channel having Game 6 Steph?

STEPHEN CURRY: I will in no way infringe upon that nickname for Klay. I'm just going to do my job and try to help us get a win, enjoy what that would actually mean.

But Game 6 Klay, I don't know how he's been able to do it. Just his personality, no moment is too big for him in terms of hooping, enjoying himself, embracing hostile crowds, or if we're at home enjoying the home atmosphere.

Obviously, the OKC game is the one at the top of the list in terms of how much that meant individually and for us as a team to come back in that series. He has a knack for those type of big moments. Just so happened to be Game 6. And he has another opportunity to add to that tale tomorrow.

Q. You're one win away from a championship. How do you balance the magnitude of that moment with the need to remain focused and calm, play another basketball game? What kind of advice might you be giving to some of the other younger teammates facing this for the first time?

STEPHEN CURRY: Thankfully I think having been here six times, been in a lot of different closeout type of opportunities, you just understand what the nerves are like. You can rely on that experience, for sure.

We understand the specifics of how we need to approach the game from a physicality perspective, our game plan adjustments from Game 5 to Game 6, understanding what the building is going to feel like, that energy, being prepared for it.

You got to remind yourself of that as much as you can before the game starts.

At the end of the day, once you get out there, you just have to be in the moment. You got to be present as much as possible, not worry about the consequences of a win or a loss. The only opportunity you have is that 48 minutes. The more you can trick your mind into being in the moment and staying there, that's the best advice I can give anybody in that situation because it's going to be the hardest game you probably ever played in your career because of what the stakes are.

Q. With all the back and forth going between the fan bases, T-shirts, chants, so forth, what do you make of it? How do you see that chatter going back and forth?

STEPHEN CURRY: I'm the petty king so I know all about everything. I use it as entertainment and just have fun with it. The more you're on the stage, the more you realize the attention that is on you, how much it means to each fan base, how much it means to the cities. So you can't really be surprised by anything. There's a lot at stake when it comes to winning championships.

Maybe back in the day, the first year, first two years, maybe things catch you off guard just because it's so new. You wonder how these narratives come up, all the distractions pop up here and there. I think the more you get into these environments, the more you use it as entertainment, fun, embrace it. Honestly, you wouldn't want to have it any other way, knowing that you're on this stage and you're playing for something that really matters to a lot of people.