Former NBA player Nigel Hayes-Davis was one of those who were fortunate enough, to get an invite to be part of the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team. Hayes-Davis was around Team USA right from training camp to the exhibition games and during an interview with Swish Cultures, he spoke about how Stephen Curry helped him out.
“Last day of my time with the team in London, I sat down with Steph for like hour and a half, two hours after the game versus maybe Germany,” Hayes-Davis said. “He was kind and generous enough to sit there with me and I asked every question that I had, that I could think of and he wrote down everything for me.
“So, I have this in my notepad. It’s one of my now most prized possessions of the secrets of the mountaintop,” Hayes-Davis continued. “And like I said, it was extremely fortunate to get some of this information because it’s some good stuff in there from Mr. Steph Curry.”
(starts at 12:19 mark):
I am sure there was some great stuff in there. It was a fine gesture on Curry’s part, to take out all that time to help Hayes-Davis. I don’t think many NBA stars would have been willing to do that, especially for someone they didn’t really have much of a connection with, beforehand.
All those pointers in the notepad aside, Hayes-Davis revealed he also learned a lot from watching Curry and the other stars on the team. The 29-year-old would carefully observe what they were doing before and after practice and try to understand why they did it. He learned how they worked out and how they took care of their bodies as well.
Curry was always Hayes-Davis’ main focus, though, and there was quite a simple reason for that. Of all the stars there, the Golden State Warriors guard was the only one who did things on the court that he felt he could potentially pick up.
Hayes-Davis knew he couldn’t replicate what the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Anthony Edwards do, because they are genetically gifted in a way that he isn’t. So, Curry, who doesn’t have those physical gifts himself, was the man to watch closely.
Hayes-Davis learned about the conditioning drills Curry does too and admitted they’re not easy at all to complete. He stated the drill has five parts and hilariously revealed that a friend of his quit, after completing just two. We have heard quite a few stories over the years of NBA players struggling to complete Curry’s workouts, so I’m not surprised this individual couldn’t carry on.
If Hayes-Davis can properly implement even a bit of what he learned from Curry, he should be able to perform better on the court. That’s not to say the former Wisconsin standout has been struggling recently, as he has actually been playing some of his best basketball.
After going undrafted in 2017, Hayes-Davis spent time in the G League and had brief stints in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Sacramento Kings. In 2018, he decided to go overseas to continue his professional basketball career and is currently playing for Fenerbahce.
Hayes-Davis has impressed on the court during his time with the Turkish team and helped end their five-year wait to return to the Final Four in the EuroLeague last season. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game, and made the All-EuroLeague First Team. Perhaps with Curry’s advice, he’ll help Fenerbahce win it all next season.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
