How much of an impact does home life have on the career of NBA players?
For most people, the correlation seems obvious. Whether good or bad, what happens in life can drastically change work performance. When it comes to basketball, though, it can be hard to imagine the play of guys like Steph Curry being driven by what happens behind closed doors.
According to Warriors coach Steve Kerr, however, that’s exactly the case. In a recent sit-down with the media, Kerr revealed that a happy home life can actually have a profound impact on the performance of a player. That’s the case with Damion Lee, who has had an amazing season so far.
“I thought he turned the corner last year,” Kerr said. “He had some really good games for us a year ago. The season didn’t end well for him, he got COVID late in the year and was not able to play in the two play-in games. He didn’t really have a complete season health-wise, but he really helped us win some games. This was a great summer for him, he got healthy, was able to work on his body. I think he came into camp in the best shape of his life, but also with the most knowledge that he’s ever had and the most confidence.”
“He and Sydel, his wife, are having a baby, too,” Kerr said. “There’s just a lot of great things going on in Damion’s life. He’s just right at that sweet spot where he’s ready to help (I think) a good team win a lot of games. You saw that last night, and you saw that in all four of these wins that we’ve had to start the year.”
Kerr also revealed personal life as Steph Curry’s secret to success, noting how Steph’s unwavering happiness at home has helped him become such an extraordinary player on the court.
“They are directly related, there’s no question. I’ve long felt that’s one of Steph [Curry’s] secrets to his success, he loves his life. He loves his family, he loves his hobbies, his daily existence on the Earth, he just enjoys it so much. He’s got so much going for him that it makes everything smoother and more fun for him on the court. I think that’s true for everybody. If you can get things in order and you’re in a comfortable place, you’re going to have more success.”
It can be easy, from an outside perspective, to forget that these players have lives. They have families, they have friends, they have a lot of different things going on that have nothing to do with basketball.
Often, it’s those things that make or shape a season.
