Mind the Game podcast co-hosts Steve Nash and LeBron James welcomed Curry onto the show, where the three living legends opened their discussion by reminiscing about the Warriors’ 2014 preseason.
In a 116-75 victory in Ontario, a spry 26-year-old Curry scored 25 points on 8 of 11 shooting while 40-year-old Nash labored around the court alongside Kobe Bryant.
“He’s running everywhere, and my back is broke,” said Nash, the former Santa Clara star. “I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100%. I’m dragging around every action, and Stevie Kerr is putting me in every action.”
“After three or four more days of thinking, I was like ‘Yeah, it’s time.’ And that was it.”
Curry went on to win the first of his two MVPs and led the Warriors to the title.
Meanwhile, Nash retired later that season, but his relationship with the Warriors was just beginning. The next year, Nash became a consultant for Golden State.
“Next thing I know, you show up at our practice and you’re teaching us pick and roll,” Curry said.
The trio also spent a considerable amount of time discussing Curry’s revolutionary one-motion jumpshot while taking a few jabs at the notion that the Warriors’ sharpshooter “ruined the game.”
“You kind of invented something,” Nash said. “You’ve gone on to become the greatest shooter of all-time by a long margin. Range, accuracy, dexterity, off the move, left, right, leaning in and leaning back. You do it all. I don’t know if you could do that if you do picture-perfect form.”
Curry, whose shot has always been considered a bit unorthodox, pointed out that he would not teach his form to kids.“I would teach Klay (Thompson)’s form to anybody who asks, ‘How do I shoot a basketball?’ ” Curry said.
Both Nash and James marveled at Curry’s incessant off-ball activity, a skillset that helped the Warriors defeat James’ Cavaliers in three of four Finals matchups from 2015-2018.
“He’s most dangerous when he doesn’t have the ball,” James said. “As a competitor and as a dear friend now, it grinds you in the head.”
“Bob Myers is the first person who said ‘You should shoot 15 threes a game,’” Curry said of the Warriors’ former general manager. “I was like, ‘What? Do you know how hard it is to get 12 good looks up? He was like ‘Why not?’”
It was the first part of a series with the three basketball icons. In the next episode, they alluded to having a discussion about James’ and Curry’s Finals matchups.
Injury updates
Curry will miss a second consecutive game with an illness when the Warriors visit the Nuggets on Friday night, according to the official NBA injury update. He remained in the Bay Area to recover rather than make the trip to Denver for an NBA Cup game.
Jimmy Butler was questionable with a lower back strain, which kept him out of the Warriors’ loss in Sacramento on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Draymond Green is expected to play while dealing with a ribcage injury.