"Bang! Bang! Oh what a shot from Curry!"
ESPN's Mike Breen's words after the Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry drilled a game winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 27 still resound today, possibly qualifying as one of the best calls of a National Basketball Association (NBA) game. If Curry's shot didn't get you hype, Breen surely did. However, Mike Breen's Saturday night primetime call barely scratches the surface when describing all that Curry has done in his career, more recently these last few years. What Curry did that night was the epitome of the one of a kind career he's "cooking" up. Just when you think Curry has done it all, he finds some new way to blow your socks off--literally (sorry Chris Paul). Curry has made a strong argument why he's one of the best things to happen to NBA.
Allow the critics to this argument to be acknowledged. Agreed, Curry and his on court presence in some occasions have been questionable. There have been games where his emotions have got the best of him, resulting in a celebration montage with teammates near the Warriors bench during a timeout, or even (a personal favorite) staring down the bench after a making a shot and providing the ever so famous flex of a bicep. Analysts, both professional and amateur alike, have argued his three-point antics have resulted in provoking other players to throw up any shot when they're open, regardless if it's close or deep. These critics have concluded that Curry has changed (and even ruined) the game with his shooting ability.
It's true, though. Curry has changed the game with his shooting ability.
Admit it - Nobody expected this boy who made a name for himself one year during an NCAA postseason tournament with Davidson College to have an explosion of a career in the NBA. Curry has done just that, though. Of course, everybody who knows Curry most likely knows him for his three point shooting. The eye-popping statistic though is Curry broke the record for most three-pointers in a season not once, but twice, breaking his own record (he also holds the one before that) this season with his 287th with a whole month left to play in the season (yes you read that right). His three-point shooting ability entertains many, providing one of those shows where you just sit back and enjoy, wanting more when it's over. He leaves you wondering what crazy shot he can make next. Oh, also include the NBA MVP award he just won too, an award he is projected to win once again this season.
Along with on court performance, Curry has provided a beneficial element to the sport with his non-game, "off the court" demeanor. From his crazy pre-game, warmup drills and antics that children storm the court to see, to the way he professionally and humbly conducts himself, Curry provides a different element to the game that makes him a role model to many. Curry also proved himself a good father as he provided an entertaining twist to his post-game conference during the championship series in 2015 when he brought his daughter Riley to the table with him. There, she took control with her "cute" effect and stole the show with the press.
Whether you're his biggest fan or you despise him with every bone in your body, Steph Curry has changed the way many people view professional basketball with his on-court and off the court actions. In some cases, he's become the face of the sport. He's bettered the sport and what it brings to its fans. He's made a strong argument for why he's the best thing to happen to the NBA.
