Stephen Curry has solidified himself as an all-time great in the sport of basketball. Not only is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he is also arguably one of the 10 best players to have ever graced the NBA court. His 4th championship in 2022 helped him prove many doubters wrong about the Warriors championship dynasty being a result of the arrival of Kevin Durant in 2017.
Curry’s emergence was there for anyone who was paying attention to see how he was changing the game of basketball with his never-seen-before shooting ability. Many all-time greats had noticed that including the likes of rival LeBron James, who attended Curry’s Davidson college games prior to the star being drafted by the Warriors in 2009.
The biggest endorsement had to have come from Kobe Bryant, who had established himself as a legend long before Steph’s emergence into the game. According to rapper and actor Killer Mike, Kobe told him about Steph as he was retiring and claimed Steph would be an all-time great if he stayed healthy.
"Man there's this kid in Golden State, Steph Curry… He the one, all he gotta do is stay healthy."
Kobe was showing love to Steph before he put the league on notice.
— Chano (@chanodesigns) June 28, 2022
“Who I gotta watch? He said to me ‘there’s this kid I’ve been watching. He real small and thin but if he can stay healthy’… As I’m processing that, he said ‘there is this kid in Golden State, Steph Curry. I tell you, he’s the one, all he gotta do is stay healthy.’ That day, I started watching Steph and he hasn’t disappointed since.”
Curry was battling ankle injuries early in his career, which made people question whether he was worth the investment and risk. That risk led to a bargain 4-year $44 million contract from the Warriors in 2014 that gave Golden State the wiggle room to add Kevin Durant when the salary cap spiked in 2017.
Basis his individual performances, Curry has proven why Kobe was right to pick him as the star of the future when he was out of the league. Steph is the only unanimous MVP in league history and has accolades that rival some of the greatest players in the history of the league.
