NBA
Steph Curry reveals which soccer player inspires him to be better
The four-time NBA champion is the holder of countless records but he is still hoping to “emulate” another sporting great.
Steph Curry is now in his 15th season in the NBA, looking to lead the Golden State Warriors to the fifth championship of his trophy-laden time with the team. Curry also has two MVP awards, an Olympic gold medal and countless NBA shooting records to his name. Nevertheless, the 36-year-old remains a fierce competitor.
His Warriors team were beaten by the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, slipping to a 19-20 record on the season. Speaking to reporters after the game Curry revealed an unlikely source of personal inspiration for him; Inter Miami and Argentina star Lionel Messi.
“Greatness inspires greatness in many ways. There’s nothing specific you can apply from football to basketball,” Curry revealed after the game. “It’s about longevity, creativity, and [Messi’s] impact on the sport worldwide.”
“We appreciate greatness, of course, he inspires you to keep going and to keep doing things your way.
Curry added that Messi’s physical conditioning over the years has been something that he has tried to replicate in his own career. Advancements in sports science and injury prevention methods have allowed elite players, in both soccer and basketball, to play for longer than ever before. However the emphasis is increasingly on players themselves to dedicate their lives to their craft.
Curry said of Messi’s physical condition: “I have the utmost respect for him for how he takes care of himself both on and off the field. I try to emulate the same.”
Which soccer team does Steph Curry support?
Although he is known to be a keen fan of the game, Steph Curry hasn’t ever committed himself to a single team. He’s often mixing with some of the world’s best players but rarely goes to games, due in part to the hectic schedule of an NBA star.
He has appeared at Paris Saint-Germain games in the past and was once honoured with a shirt presentation on the field at Parc des Princes. In fact, when Messi announced his decision to sign for PSG in 2021, Curry wrote a message of congratulations on social media for the Argentine star.
Another, less obvious, cross-sport post came in 2022 when Curry responded to a tweet from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Curry replied to a post about a goal scored by Eric Dier against Southampton in August 2022, describing the Englishman as the ‘Third Splash Brother’.
Quite what connects Dier with Curry and Warriors teammate Klay Thompson wasn’t clear. Regardless, the former Spurs man can count Steph Curry as an unlikely supporter.
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