Traveling Warriors Fans Have Played a Significant Role in Stephen Curry Putting Up Spectacular Numbers on the Road: ‘You Want to Give Them Something to Actually Get Excited About’
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is averaging 33.7 points over his last three road games. He scored 24 against the Charlotte Hornets, 37 versus the Brooklyn Nets, and 40 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Curry, who leads the NBA in scoring at 29.5 points per game, has received MVP chants on the road this season. The two-time MVP always wants to play well, but he is motivated to perform extra special on the road now that Warriors fans are traveling again.
Stephen Curry on traveling Warriors fans: “You want to give them something to actually get excited about”
After scoring 40 points against the Cavaliers and receiving MVP chants at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Curry spoke about how nice it is to have Warriors fans in away arenas. The three-time champion said it’s his goal to give Dubs fans something to cheer about since they made an effort to come to a visiting stadium.
“I appreciate it,” Curry said, via ESPN. “It is very reminiscent of ’14-18 where we had a lot of support and a big following showing up to road games and all that. You want to feed off that and give them something to cheer about throughout the game, or else they’re just coming out and you’ve got a bunch of Warrior mannequins just sitting down, watching. You want to give them something to actually get excited about.”
Curry won back-to-back MVPs in 2015 and 2016. If he continues to play at the level he’s currently performing at and the Warriors continue to win games, the future Hall of Famer will undoubtedly win his third MVP. After all, Golden State has the best record in the NBA despite All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson still being sidelined, and it’s primarily due to Curry’s astounding play.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr won three championships with Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan in the ’90s and has won three with Curry. He’s had a front-row seat to two of the greatest players of all time, and despite being Curry’s coach since 2014-15, he’s still amazed at how extraordinary the Davidson product is.
Steve Kerr on Stephen Curry: “He’s a special player”
Kerr isn’t surprised by what Curry is doing this season for the Warriors. However, he’s sometimes still in awe of what the All-NBA guard can do with a basketball.
“Nothing surprises me anymore,” Kerr said. “And yet I’m amazed if that makes sense. It’s still incredible to watch, but you sort of expect it. That’s what greatness is about — where you want to see it, fans come to see it, and then you sort of expect something to happen and then he does it and you’re just in awe. You’re amazed. He’s a special player, special person.”
Curry is averaging 29.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc through the Warriors’ first 15 games. He’s in tremendous shape, which has allowed him to play 33.7 minutes a night and run around on offense, a latter trait Kerr pays attention to.
Steve Kerr: Steph’s off-ball movement is wonderful
No one moves more without the ball in their hands than Curry. He’s a nightmare to guard because he never stops moving, and Kerr loves that about him.
“He’s one of the greatest players in the history of the game,” Kerr said about Curry. “And he’s the greatest 3-point shooter of all time. And the way he moves off the ball, he’s so strong and fluid and he understands the game on and off the ball. And he’s fearless. So you throw all that together — and he’s always capable of catching fire like that. As amazing as it was, it didn’t shock me because this is what he does.”
It will be fascinating to see how many more road stadiums Curry gets MVP chants in moving forward. After missing the playoffs the previous two seasons, the Warriors are once again one of the top teams in the league, and their fans are back to taking over road arenas.