You’d think winning an NBA championship would be the pinnacle of the sport for most basketball players. But what if you already have four? Does a fifth ring inspire enough motivation? That is what Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is considering as the NBA moves on to the next season.
Having already won the championship four times, Curry doesn’t necessarily feel the nerves of someone on the cusp of greatness. That said, the need for motivation to do something more is not alien to the son of a former NBA player.
Growing up, Steph wasn’t touted to be the next big thing. He wasn’t the tallest or the strongest. In fact, when the Warriors drafted him in 2009 as the seventh overall pick, and again when they extended his contract right after his rookie season, critics claimed Golden State had overpaid, that he wasn’t worth his millions.
Steph Curry, interestingly, is using the same methods of motivation now as he used back then. To the 11-time All-Star, it’s just part of the process.
“You can’t chase that stuff. It’s the process that you commit to. It sounds so boring and dull, but it is the only way you get to where you want to go. And I think I’m old enough and wise enough now to stay on that journey of just being in the moment,” Curry proudly declared.
This offseason, Steph has only focused on one thing: maintaining and improving his fitness. There was no Olympic gold to chase this year, so he just focused on his Curry camp and figuring out how to push past his peak at 37 years of age.
Of course, a fifth ring would mean tying with the late Kobe Bryant and taking one step closer to Michael Jordan’s mythical sixth. To do that, however, he would need to stay healthy for most of the 82 games on the schedule. That is no easy task. By his own admission, many unpredictable things can happen in a season.
As far as chasing Kobe and MJ is concerned, Curry has a rather simple mantra. “That just means you’re winning,” he said. Sure, it looks cool on social media and does great things for his legacy, but Steph appears to be aware that his legacy has already been cemented in the annals of the sport.
“That’s the thing, even with one through four. One, just getting through the hump and becoming a champ, it’s all really about the process that leads to it. All the narratives, all the cool celebrations and stuff like that, they take care of itself,” he added.
It has certainly worked out for him so far. No reason it won’t anymore.
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