Stephen Curry: Humble or Arrogant?

Stephen Curry is beloved by casual fans and national media however his on-court confidence is striking a nerve with fans around the league who suggest a violent reaction is necessary.

One of my favorite movies of all-time is The Dark Knight.

I absolutely love Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. Aside from Batman’s cool gadgets, the late Heath Ledger’s incredible portrayal of the Joker blew me away. Early on in the film, Gotham’s “white knight” Harvey Dent tells Bruce Wayne that “you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

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Well, Stephen Curry has splashed long enough to see himself become the villain.

Curry is the league’s biggest superstar. Opposing crowds have become an extension of Oracle Arena as fans donning a blue and yellow no.30 take over and take away any home court advantage other teams might have. He has millions of social media followers and his public appearances are reminiscent of “Beatle-mania.” Most fans just can’t get enough Curry.

With greatness comes intense scrutiny. With success comes resent and envy. While this “anti-Steph” community may be in the minority, their voice is loud and unnerving.

Following last night’s Warriors victory over the Atlanta Hawks there was an outpour of social media hate aimed towards Curry. Late in the fourth quarter, the reigning MVP splashes a three right in Jeff Teague‘s face from the corner. After his release, Curry turned around and shimmied in front of the Atlanta bench and went back on defense.

Steph Curry doesn't always shimmy, but when he does, it's after he hits another 3. https://t.co/UkB3Io5PpT https://t.co/5zC9RkoNm4
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) February 23, 2016

My Twitter timeline was flooded with fans and even media members calling Curry “obnoxious” or “arrogant.” They suggested that the level of disrespect the point guard showed Atlanta should be matched with violence and aggression.

Time for some *gasp* context. Curry didn’t aim his shimmy at Kyle Korver or the Hawks’ bench or the entire city of Atlanta. He shimmied in the direction of Kent Bazemore, a former teammate and a good friend. Curry’s celebration was a personal acknowledgment that just happened to be in a public setting.

Another idea that I encountered on social media last night and this morning was the question of whether Curry is a humble person or not. I have a theory that I spent a lot of time pondering and researching. It’s complex, lengthy, and definitively answers if Steph Curry is humble. Here it is:

He’s not.

Klay Thompson put it best. In a Q&A with ESPN’s Ethan Strauss, Thompson was discussing confidence and accepting one’s abilities. When Strauss mentioned Curry, the three-point champion asked “look at the way he plays. Is that humble? He added “no humble man can take those shots.”

Curry is the best player in the world. He is the reigning Most Valuable Player and he looks to be a lock for another one. He’s coming off of his first championship and, at 50-5, has the Warriors in position to win another one. He’s casually breaking records and having the best offensive season. His team has been called “lucky” and his championship has been labeled a “fluke.” Why should he be humble?

I can assure you that if I could shoot the ball like that and make the world’s best players look foolish, I’d jump and celebrate and shimmy all day. I mean, when I go play at my local gym, I talk a lot of trash and I’m awful. It’s almost a wonder he doesn’t do it more.

It’s important to not confuse Curry’s on-court confidence with his off-court character. He might be a better person than he is a basketball player. I understand, I’ve never met him personally so maybe I’m not the most credible source to assess his character. But everyone around him raves about the kind of person he is. He’s treated media and fans with the utmost respect and has represented the Warriors, the league, and himself with professionalism. He even apologized for winning a title.

So I should tweak my theory. Curry’s humble demeanor is genuine off the court. He’s never punched a teammate. He’s never held TV special to announce he’s leaving his home. He’s never humiliated young players. He lives a quiet, reserved life with his family. His meteoric rise to superstardom has not changed him.