The man who is 50 percent responsible for giving us a fresh new American sports icon is often tortured, because he can't always enjoy the show and feel his jaw hitting the floor like everyone else.
While his son is busy shattering NBA shooting records and gradually earning one-name recognition from the masses -- "Steph" is all you need now -- Dell Curry is often busy at work. He is a TV analyst for the Charlotte Hornets and the NBA schedule doesn't always cut the Currys some slack.
But last Saturday in Atlanta brought an off-night for Dell. In these situations while on the road, he'll catch a Golden State Warriors game at a local sports bar. This time he retreated to his hotel room, where his neighbors certainly heard a loud yell and maybe a fall-off-the-chair thump just before midnight Eastern.
"I get asked all the time about what it's like to watch him play, and actually, Kemba Walker just came up to me and asked the same thing," Curry said. "And my answer is the same: I'm a fan just like you all. I get speechless like everyone else trying to explain what I see. And when he hit that shot, I screamed just like everyone else. Whoever was in the next room, I apologize."
That shot would be the game-winning pull-up jumper from nearly half court that broke Twitter and the hearts of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And that player is Stephen Curry, ready to replace Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as the most watchable player maybe in all pro sports, based on what he's done the last week, month and heck, the last few seasons running.
It's not a stretch to say Curry is laying the foundation for iconic status, for he is already an NBA champion and soon-to-be two-time Kia MVP, yet he's still in his prime. He's on pace to push the single-season and career 3-point records beyond reach, maybe alongside Wilt Chamberlain's records. He's the rare box-office behemoth who sells out arenas in February. And the Warriors, rumbling towards 70-plus wins, will fit the definition of a dynasty if they keep this up.
It also doesn't hurt that Curry plays well in Peoria as well as he does in New York and other big markets. His personality is friendly and warm, there doesn't appear to be a selfish fiber in his body, he projects the image of a proud family man and because of that, his appeal spreads across generations. Even Oscar Robertson's.
Recenlty, Robertson took heat for having the audacity to utter anything that resembled anti-Curry, and his timing was brutal (it came a few days before Curry demolished the Thunder). Actually, Robertson was anti-NBA coach, not anti-Curry. To clarify, here's what "The Big O" told ESPN's Mike & Mike radio show:
"There have been some great shooters in the past ... But here again, when I played years ago, if you shot outside and hit it, the next time I'm going to be up on top of you. I'm going to pressure you with three-quarters, half-court defense. But now they don't do that. These coaches do not understand the game of basketball, as far as I'm concerned."
In this social media age where everyone has a take and willing to give it, Robertson (famous for being grumpy even before this) triggered a generation vs. generation discussion that bordered on hilarity and became far too intense and, in retrospect, silly.
"The game has changed," said Dell Curry, who played 16 NBA seasons and was a valuable sixth man and 3-point specialist with the original Hornets. "I don't think you can compare the 90s, the 80s, the 70s to what's happening today. Different players, different rules, different game. Those comments he made ... I think they were funny. I didn't put a lot of stock in them. That's all I'll say."
A cynical observer could say that Robertson's signature achievement -- averaging a triple-double for an entire season -- would be impossible had he played today. In 1961-62, when he had that magical season (in 1963-64 he just missed it again when he averaged 9.9 rebounds), teams averaged 107.7 shots per game. Last season, the Celtics led the NBA with 87.9 shots per game. Basically, when Oscar played, there were more rebounds available, which is why Wilt Chamberlain got 55 in a game. The NBA was different. Styles and players and eras evolve.
Another unflattering generational comparison came courtesy of a text from Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson, who compared Steph to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. The former Denver Nuggets guard was a solid shooter in his own right in the 1990s, yet never shot 40 percent from deep in a single season. That's something that's routine for Steph, whose percentage from long 3s (35 feet and beyond) is over 60 percent.
0 komentar:
Post a Comment