Stephen Curry: A Different Kind of Superstar

Here’s the wonderful thing: When you first watch the Golden State Warriors play, it isn’t always readily apparent who the best player is.

Mo Speights, “Mo Buckets,” could be on one of his tears, his awkward big-man jumper beating defenses time and time again, making them say, “Who the heck is this guy?” Klay Thompson, the best two-way shooting guard in the league, could be sinking three-pointers on one end and locking down Chris Paul on the other. Draymond Green could be out-muscling Blake Griffin, bursting through players for rebounds, and dishing out assists for a triple double.

For a brief moment, you can lose track of the point guard in the corner: he’s unassuming, doesn’t demand the ball, and seems genuinely happy for his teammates. Maybe he’s just a shooter, you’ll think. Then, he catches the ball, leaves his defender stumbling the wrong way, and finishes with touch — the “God given touch,” as Damian Lillard will tell you.

“He’s the best point guard in the league,” Lillard said. But perhaps Curry’s greatest contribution to the Warriors isn’t his three-point marksmanship (40.3% on 8 attempts per game), his soft touch around the basket, or his passing (7.9 assists per game). Perhaps Curry, the Warriors’ superstar, helps them most by simply being a different kind of superstar.

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The media loves a Kobe-superstar, a Jordan-superstar; for, with them, marketability is off the charts. It’s them against the world, the unquestioned alpha-dog against those who dare to challenge him. And it sure is entertaining to see a hero take on the world, a martyr withstand tremendous physical taxation to carry his team all the way to victory. There’s something inherently American about it, an absolute confidence that we can’t help but admire. But the “my way or the highway” attitude has its pitfalls; during Kobe’s tenure, the Lakers have seen Shaq, Dwight Howard, and Pau Gasol all choose the highway.

But while Kobe has to be the superstar on whatever team he plays for, Curry is a different type of player. He’s a reluctant superstar, a superstar simply because he is the best player on his team. He doesn’t constantly demand the ball, doesn’t dominate possessions with excessive isolations, and, most importantly, he doesn’t always have to remind everyone that he is the team’s best player.

When Klay is hitting everything from three, he can go ahead and do it. When it’s working to go to Speights in the post, Curry will pass it to him. When the second unit is clicking, Curry won’t anxiously be pestering Steve Kerr to get him back in the game.

This is not to say that Curry is passive. When the team needs a big shot, Curry will gladly pull up and take it:

But, if it isn’t there, or another player is rolling, he won’t just take the shot to assert his stardom:

Watch Curry get double-teamed, and then give the ball up, leading to an open three for Klay Thompson. Maybe Klay isn’t as good as Curry, but an open three for him is surely better than Curry trying to shoot over a double team.

Just something to think about, Kobe:

(Look at how open Trevor Ariza is at :34. No wonder he left. Maybe he was tired of putting his hands up for so long.)

Draymond Green made headlines by throwing grapes at Seahawks fans who were arguing with Curry’s wife and mother. That’s the type of dedication that Curry gets from his teammates.

Not only does Curry’s quiet leadership allow his teammates to thrive, it makes the Warriors an attractive destination for other stars: Andre Igoudala signed with the Warriors a couple of seasons ago, and Kevin Love was rumored to have high interest in playing with Curry.

Now contrast that with the situation in Los Angeles — other stars refusing to come and play with Kobe Bryant — and we can see why Curry’s type of leadership is more conducive to team-building.

“Unlike a lot of superstars, he makes the right play,” Green told ESPN. “He really trusts us.”

“It’s making the right play,” said Curry via ESPN. “I have 100% confidence in Draymond. . . and the play he made, to give it to Klay for his last second shot. My job is to hopefully draw enough attention to make it easy on my teammates to make the plays.”

Curry’s superstardom is still in its early stages, and there is every indication that he is still getting better: his field goal percentage has consistently risen by .2% the last three years, a significant margin as he continues to average the same amount of points.

And as he keeps getting better, he will keep drawing more attention from opposing teams–all the better for his Warrior teammates to score.