← Fudd Around And Find Out
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- [00:00]
Sarah Spain
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human this sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Saver Card, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that in January of this year, Flag Football was officially added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, a step toward giving the sport NCAA championship status. Flag Football will make its Olympic debut at LA 2028. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment and at grocery stores with the saver card from Capital One. What's in your wallet? Terms apply seecapitalone.com for details. Brought to you in part by Vital Farms Let me tell you why Vital Farms Pasture raised eggs are the only eggs I have in my fridge. The hens? They're living the good life. Fresh air, sunshine and wide open pastures. I use my Vital Farms for my famous frittatas and you could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Check the carton for the farm name, pop it into vitalfarms.com farm and boom. You're looking at the pasture. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit vitalfarms.com to learn more. VitalFarms Good eggs, no shortcuts Hosts compensated for their time I used to play team sports and shared a locker room with a whole lot of women, plus 14 roommates in one college house. I still text, call or see so many of those women regularly. We talk about everything, even breast cancer which has affected several of my friends. Breast cancer has impacted all our lives in one way or another, so we know talking about it is important to share, understanding and to keep everyone updated. If you or someone you know was previously diagnosed with HR positive HER2 negative early breast cancer and went through treatment, you might be surprised to learn that it could come back. That's why I want to tell you about a breast cancer treatment called Kiskali. Kiskali ribociclib 200 milligram tablets are taken with an aromatase inhibitor. It's for adults with HR positive HER2 negative stage 2 or 3 early breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence and it can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back. In a clinical study at three years, 91% of people taking Kiskali plus an aromatase inhibitor were cancer free versus 88% taking an aromatase inhibitor alone. Individual results may vary. Kiskali may cause serious skin reactions, liver problems and low white blood cell counts that may result in serious infections. Life threatening lung problems and abnormal heartbeats can occur. Your doctor should test your heart and blood before and during treatment. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening cough, chest pain or dizziness. Before taking Kiskali, tell your doctor all your medical conditions, medicines you take and if you're breastfeeding, pregnant or planning to be as it can harm an unborn baby. Common side effects include nausea, headache and tiredness. It's all about doing more today to help protect your tomorrow. Visit kiskali.com, i know it's tricky to spell, so that's K I S Q A L I. To learn more and ask your doctor if Kiskali is right for you. This is Sarah Spain from Good Game with Sarah Spain. When I competed in track and field at the collegiate level, there were times I second guessed myself. That's why it's important for female athletes to have a space to build confidence and self esteem. Colgate supports female athletes of all levels through the Colgate Women's Games, the nation's longest running indoor track and field series for girl and women. By supporting female athletes, Colgate hopes to put more smiles out into the world. Colgate, your smile is your strength.
- [03:16]
Az Fudd
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Fut around and find out. I'm here with my girl, Ashanti Woohoo.
- [03:23]
Ashanti Plummer
And we have a very special guest.
- [03:25]
Az Fudd
Az today we have a super special guest. I'm super excited about this episode. Today we have someone who's been in my corner for a really long time. He's been someone I look up to, a mentor, a champion, one of the greatest shooters, honestly, just one of the greatest players to touch a basketball period. The one and only Stephen Curry.
- [03:49]
Stephen Curry
What's happening? What's happening? Thank y' all for having me on. This is. This is special for sure.
- [03:54]
Az Fudd
Thank you for being here. Okay, so I want to start by taking it back to 2018 curry camp when I was invited. What do you remember about that?
- [04:05]
Stephen Curry
Man? Oh, man, it was like a very special time in, you know, my journey in terms of what the, you know, the select camp actually meant. I had been with UA for four years at that point and we had had like this really tight roster of all young men who were coming in the ranks, looking to work on their skills. And we had this idea obviously of, you know, how can we make this better and more representative of what basketball looks like. And here you and Cam Brink come in, walking into Walnut Creek, California in the gym and as the first two female Curry select campers and one, I noticed just your confidence walking into the room of I'm supposed to be here Even if maybe I don't know how you. What your experience was, but it felt like, one, you were ready to work and you were willing to do any and everything that we asked of you. But two, it was like you could tell the talent and the skill and the dedication to the game immediately. And so from that point, it was the perfect kind of transition into, you know, you taking that chance on coming and not knowing what you're getting into to now what it looks like, what, eight years later and you paving the way for so many athletes behind you now. And now as a counselor coming in and hanging out with Cannon, you're like part counselor, part babysitter when you come through. Now, that's all he was looking for is where's Hazy at?
- [05:43]
Az Fudd
I prefer friend, you know, like me and Cannon. We're friends now.
- [05:46]
Stephen Curry
That is true. That is true.
- [05:47]
Az Fudd
If he remembers me.
- [05:48]
Stephen Curry
Oh, he definitely remembers you.
- [05:50]
Az Fudd
I still remember getting my invite to that first camp. Cam and I were on the U17 USA team, I think. Or six. It might have been U16, USA, whatever. We were on the USA team. Just got to Belarus. My mom called me and she was like, hey, you just got this invite. Have you seen it? And the WI fi was weird, so I hadn't seen it, so they sent it to me. But I remember Cam and I were actually roommates and we were talking about it and it's like this whole hype video of Curry camp, what that looks like. They want to invite me. And I remember, like being confused as to why you guys wanted to invite me, but also just in shock, like, no way. And it was funny that we were roommates. We got to talk about it and then see each other a week later there.
- [06:31]
Stephen Curry
That is crazy. Just knowing we broadcast a little bit of the camp and you've seen some clips of, I think it was like 7th woods and Dennis Smith Jr. Who were like our first two campers back in the day into what it was when you showed up. But now we've got, was it 12 to 14 young men and young women both on as part of the Curry camp. But none of that would have happened had y' all not accepted the invite and took a chance on us. So we're forever grateful for that because you had to walk through the door.
- [07:06]
Az Fudd
Well, we definitely appreciate. And I do too. It was definitely a life changing moment and experience and has been since. Okay, well, you've supported me through high school, my college commitment, through college, through injuries, championships, and now my rookie year. What moment has stood out to you?
- [07:25]
Stephen Curry
I mean, how much time do you have? How long does this pot. There's like so many moments, so many moments with you. I think my favorite moment, though is you trying to go out here and think that you could win the three point contest in a boot. That's still my favorite. You remember that you were hurt. You were hurt. She's hurt. Like, can't really do all the other drills, but she's still around. I think this is the second year. We came back the next year and we had our all star game at this high school in Oakland and we have a halftime three point contest and we're like, I think AZ might shoot, but she's got literally a walking boot on. And we're like, all right, we'll see what happens. And she's the one out here having fun. But that look of, nah, I do this. And so she got out there. It was cash from all around the court, every rack in a boot. I don't know how she calibrated the balance and all of that stuff, but that was just to me, like my favorite moment of your confidence, your competitiveness too. Like, no matter what the situation was, you just wanted to compete, get out there going against the guys. And so I feel like that was my favorite moment. Just knowing that you're a killer. It doesn't matter what the situation is. The toughness, like, you had to show that and there was no stakes involved. Like, what a summertime select camp three point shootout.
- [08:40]
Az Fudd
Just wanted to win.
- [08:42]
Stephen Curry
I tell you to sit down.
- [08:45]
Az Fudd
Yeah. Brandon was so mad at me. He did not want me to shoot or for everyone listening. Brandon is one of Stefan's basketball trainers that I work out with as well.
- [08:53]
Stephen Curry
He. Yeah, he's serious about we have to protect the asset. Like, she's not supposed to be at it and couldn't tell you anything. So he's been through that a lot with me too. So he was, he was well conditioned for that. That. No answer. No, I'm good.
- [09:07]
Az Fudd
Okay. This is something that I've always wanted to ask, but why me? Why did you decide once you invited me to kind of just take me under your wing is something you did not at all need to do.
- [09:20]
Stephen Curry
Whenever people ask me this question, like, I think the answer changes just depend on what moment pops up in my head first. But I think generally it's just when you're around the game long enough, you understand somebody that has a spirit of gratitude and appreciation for every moment that they get to hoop. You get the seriousness. They take it when it comes to watching you Work, and you can't fake that. And no matter how talented you were, highlights I saw of you in high school or this and that, when you understand your parents and when you got to talk to them and. And hear the story of how you grew up and how much the game means to you, how you treated people when you came into the building, like, the most. Not polite, but just professional, even as a high schooler, of understanding why you're here and not wasting anybody's time, that goes a long way. So, yeah, we loved the fact that you were one of the most talented young Hoopers that we had seen. But just the idea of just how you handle things on and off the court, that matters more than anything. Because then there's this idea that no matter what comes your way, you're going to be able to figure it out. Like, not everybody's path is. And you would know not everybody's path is straight in terms of just this easy breezy coast to the wnba. But just the idea that no matter if it was an injury, no matter if it was a tough loss or bad game or a hard workout or whatever the case was like you were going to show up. And so I think we felt that from the jump. And it's pretty much gone exactly as expected in terms of your ability to be able to figure out whatever challenge is in front of you. So the fact that you're wearing that sweatshirt right now is still crazy to me. One, it means I'm getting. Means I'm getting old. But it's also dope. It's also dope that you're, you know, you're right where you're supposed to be because of what you, you know, the work that you put into it.
- [11:17]
Az Fudd
Thank you. I really, really appreciate that.
- [11:19]
Ashanti Plummer
That's so beautiful. And, yeah, girl, super resilient. And you heard it from one of the goat's mouths.
- [11:25]
Stephen Curry
So I'm gonna keep giving the flowers. Don't worry. How many questions you got? We gonna hype her up. Cause she deserves it. For sure.
- [11:32]
Ashanti Plummer
Literally, me all the time. Okay. That's my favorite thing to do. So, Steph Az, you guys are two of the best shooters in the game. Steph, what makes a great shooter first is confidence.
- [11:46]
Stephen Curry
I think that's the biggest. It's kind of undefinable trait in terms of, like, if I walk in the gym, I don't know how to say who's the most confident of the group if you got a bunch of shooters. But being able to mentally turn off, you know, a miss and have amnesia almost when it comes to what's supposed to happen next. I think there's like mechanics that you could direct somebody to if they're starting from scratch on like what's quote unquote, the perfect jump shot in terms of, you know, your balance, how your feet are positioned, shoulder square to the basket, what you're supposed to be looking at on the rim, ball position in the hand, like all that stuff. But I will say everybody I know, you know so many great shooters that everybody shoots differently. Me and AZ have totally distinct forms. AZ and Klay Thompson, closer, but still different and unique to, to each of them. So I think it's, it's a mental part of the, like the confidence and you're, I sometimes call it irrational confidence of no matter what shot I'm taking, I think I'm going to make. And it's, it's built on, you know,
- [12:53]
Ashanti Plummer
the reps. Hello, Dulu.
- [12:56]
Stephen Curry
Yeah, for sure, the reps that you put into it. But then there's, there's a repeatability that, you know, great shooters have, no matter what their shot looks like. That's what AZ has almost mastered. If you took, you know, a thousand pictures of a thousand shots, they probably would all look exactly the same at the top of her, her jump shot. And that's why she's such a consistent, great shooter. I have a little bit like looser kind of mechanics to me, but I think when I get to the top, it all kind of looks the same as well. So you gotta have a little bit of mental and the physical connection, but it's all built on work. You can't cheat the game.
- [13:36]
Az Fudd
Well said.
- [13:37]
Stephen Curry
What do you think I would say? I'm not the host of this podcast. I'm gonna ask you what is a great shooter to you? Cause I wanna know from another great shooter what that means.
- [13:46]
Az Fudd
I agree with what you said. I feel like if anything, when you watch basketball, you see not like no shots look the same, no form looks the same. You can have the ugliest looking buildup, wind up, but if it works for you, then it works for you. If it's consistent like you make it work, then. But I agree, you have to be able to repeat that. It has to be consistent.
- [14:06]
Ashanti Plummer
I like the delusional confidence where it's like everything I put up is going in, period, period.
- [14:15]
Stephen Curry
If you could have a microphone in your, in your brain, like at that moment when you're about to shoot, it's like there's no other option. You almost surprised if you miss, but Also I will say, you know, you get to a point where you know right away as soon as that ball leaves your fingertips, that which was about to happen. Like we could, we could pretty much predict the outcome. You might get a couple surprises or a lucky bounce, but for the most part we, we know as soon as we let it go.
- [14:44]
Ashanti Plummer
Could you break down some of your shooting drills or workouts?
- [14:47]
Stephen Curry
It depends on the time of year in season, out of season. You know, if it's a shoot around a bigger practice where I have some more time and a little bit more rest on the back end to really go hard. But I think we have, there's different categories I guess on like conditioning shooting drills where you try to simulate kind of games. Look at her face, look at those are, was those are ones, we have a love hate relationship with those because you know you're getting something out of it. But you don't look forward to, you don't look forward to those days at all. Like the full course star drill. But you have to also put a goal on top of the drill and then if you don't hit that, then it could be a long workout, a longer than, a longer workout than necessary. But like those conditioning drills, whether it's the full course star drill that people have seen or this drill that we do called perfection, where you have to make four in a row, five different spots, then three in a row, then two in a row, then one in a row. But you can't miss, you can't miss two in a row, you can't miss two shots in a row or else you have to start all over. So it's more of a test of mental resilience at the end of a workout. We got warm up drills where you're dribbling one basketball at the same time, you're shooting with the other hand to kind of train in like the mental dexterity, being able to lock in on the shooting motion while you have something else kind of distracting you while you're dribbling. The other basketball, that's, that's a fun one because it kind of just gets the mind and the body going. We do that at the beginning of workouts. But yeah, there's like a lot of different categories that, and I'm still trying to figure out and kind of design new ones because you got to, you know, keep your, you gotta keep challenging yourself in new ways. You don't want to kind of settle into a groove of knowing exactly, you know, how you're gonna experience a drill. So 17 years into the league. I'm still trying to figure out new, new routines and stuff.
- [16:46]
Az Fudd
And that was a very like, vague explanation of what his workouts look like. What I love about what his workout, he very lightly mentioned it. But everything you have to think like you have to. There'll be addition, subtraction, multiplication, like numbers, letters in some of those drills. Doing ball handling while having like multiply plus three with different colors and tennis balls and juggling and, and also with the shooting drills. Like my favorite part is that it's not just, okay, make ten, make three in a row and then do this. Like, it's okay. Well, if you don't do this, then you have to go back if you don't do that right thing. So like you're constantly being challenged in different ways. And I love that. I mean, it explains why he's the best, but yeah. So I love watching him work out
- [17:28]
Ashanti Plummer
doing math with colors while dribbling and shooting.
- [17:32]
Az Fudd
I don't even know how to describe some of these drills.
- [17:34]
Ashanti Plummer
Math by itself, baby. That's awesome.
- [17:39]
Stephen Curry
When B pain's holding device in front of you and you're like, all right. Oh, you gotta get the answer. Oh, man. It's fun. It's fun.
- [17:51]
Az Fudd
It is fun.
- [17:53]
Stephen Curry
Foreign
- [17:57]
Sarah Spain
this sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that usc great and two time WNBA champ Lisa Leslie was the first player to dunk in the WNBA in July of 2002, in her second season with the LA Sparks, Leslie gathered an outlet pass and threw it down in the open court to make history. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com bankguy for details. Capital1 NA member FDIC hosts compensated for
- [18:29]
Kiskali Advertisement Voice
their time I've seen a lot of tough women in my life. Women who fight hard and keep showing up no matter what. And when one of them gets hit with breast cancer, it's brutal. But here's the thing. Even after treatment, breast cancer can come back. That's why I'm telling you about Kiskali. Kiskali ribociclib. 200mg tablets are taken with an aromatase inhibitor. It's for adults with HR positive HER2 negative stage 2 or 3 early breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence. And it can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back. If you or someone you love went through it, talk to them. Share this. It may not seem helpful, but it's a real way to show up for the women you love. Or maybe yourself. In a clinical study at three years, 91% of people taking Kiskali plus an aromatase inhibitor were cancer free versus 88% taking an aromatase inhibitor alone. Individual results may vary. Kiskali may cause serious skin reactions, liver problems and low white blood cell counts that may result in serious infections. Life threatening lung problems and abnormal heartbeats can occur. Your doctor should test your heart and blood before and during treatment. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening cough, chest pain or dizziness before taking Cascali. Tell your doctor all your medical conditions, medicines you take and if you're breastfeeding, pregnant or planning to be as it can harm an unborn baby. Common side effects include nausea, headache and tiredness. Visit kiskali.com, that's K I S Q A L I to learn more and ask your doctor if Kiskali is right for you.
- [20:18]
Sarah Spain
This is Sarah Spain from Good Game with Sarah Spain. As a former college athlete, there were many moments where I second guessed myself. It's natural when you're under pressure. When I had those moments of self doubt, I found that the smallest thing can steady you. You like a smile. Not because it's easy, but because it reminds you you belong here. You've put in the work. You can handle this. Colgate has supported female athletes for over 50 years with the Colgate Women's Games, helping them build confidence and self esteem while competing for scholarships. The Colgate Women's Games is the nation's longest running indoor track and field system series for girls and women. Colgate knows that resilience is the key to better performance and sometimes resilience takes the shape of a smile. So if you ever doubt yourself, remember your smile is your strength. Brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let's talk eggs. Vital Farms pasture raised eggs to be exact. My favorites. The only kind I've got in my fridge. No joke. And here's why. These aren't your average eggs. The hens live on open pastures with fresh air and sunshine all year long. They forage on local grasses and stretch their wings. They're living their best life. That care really shows in the taste. I love mine scrambled with a little butter or whipped up into a fancy frittata. And here's something most people don't know. You could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Seriously side of the carton you'll find the farm name. Type it in@vitalfarms.com farm and you'll get a 360 degree peek at the pasture plus Vital Farms is a certified B corporation, which means they're committed to improving the lives of people, animals, and the planet through food. Eggs you could feel good about. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit vitalfarms.com to learn more. Vital Farms. Good eggs. No shortcuts.
- [22:17]
Az Fudd
Okay, I want to take it back to your draft night. What? What's one of your favorite memories from your draft night?
- [22:23]
Stephen Curry
Ooh, well, fun fact. Not fun fact. Horrible fact. That was the day Michael Jackson passed away. June 25, 2009. So I heard Jeff T. Tell this story on his pod the other day. Cause we were in the same draft class, but it was my dad's birthday. It was the day Michael Jackson passed in New York. It was just the idea of being in the, you know, in the city, getting dressed. Like I did the old. It was like the premature get ready with me situations when. When I had on my. My fit with a little purple tie. Nervous as I'll get out, but one. I didn't know how long the night was going to be. So you're there for two hours before the. David Stern at the time, the commissioner, he. Before he even walked out. And so there are a lot of fans in there, you know, a lot of New York fans, which are pretty awesome. My favorite moment is how loud they booed when Golden State selected me at number seven.
- [23:31]
Ashanti Plummer
We're passionate.
- [23:33]
Stephen Curry
Yes, 100%. So they booed like crazy. And I'm trying to, you know, have that moment where I couldn't get that distraction out of my head. It's like, I think booing. I was like, oh, no, they really wanted me. I got it. It took me a second. It's. In that moment, there's just so many thoughts going on. But, yeah, getting that call was from Larry Riley, the GM at the time. Don Nelson, who was the coach at the time, getting that call and being like, hey, we're looking forward to having you excited. And then me quickly looking at my phone, trying to figure out exactly where Golden State was. All I was thinking about was New York. But careful what you wish for. And I'm glad it went my way. For sure.
- [24:18]
Az Fudd
Everything works out.
- [24:19]
Stephen Curry
That part. That part, I guess.
- [24:23]
Ashanti Plummer
Steph, if you were drafted today, what would you wear? I like the, like, purple tie. Look, I saw the draft. It wasn't. I've seen crazier. It wasn't bad.
- [24:33]
Stephen Curry
It was kind of chill with a pop on the tie. What would I wear this year? Oh, that's a good question. It would probably be like some like real fitted, double breasted, like kind of pinstripey, but like dark navy suit. Just something classic. But something that fit, actually fit me more than my suit did back in 09 because we had a whole different definition. Of what. Of what fit. So. Yeah, something. Something classy like that.
- [24:59]
Az Fudd
I like that vision.
- [25:01]
Stephen Curry
You go, you go hear me say that, and you go see what I'm wearing at the Met gala tonight and be like, that ain't the same person.
- [25:07]
Az Fudd
I'm so excited.
- [25:08]
Ashanti Plummer
Oh, my goodness.
- [25:09]
Az Fudd
Is it like a crazy look?
- [25:10]
Ashanti Plummer
Or you could tell us this drops on Friday. Like on a Friday.
- [25:14]
Az Fudd
Can we have a sneak peek?
- [25:16]
Stephen Curry
I don't have it with me, but it's like I'm like the black Assassin's Creed. Let's put it that way. I like. I got a. Yeah. And it involves gloves. Let's put. I'll add that too. Big hood and leather gloves. That's.
- [25:37]
Ashanti Plummer
I'm excited to see that.
- [25:39]
Az Fudd
I am excited to see this. Is it just you or is Aisha with you?
- [25:44]
Stephen Curry
Aisha's with me too. So. She is. I think the theme is costume art. So she's got it, you know, flawless, like silhouette dress with a little, little leg showing. It's gonna be nice. I'm the arm kid. I'm the arm candy this time around.
- [26:00]
Az Fudd
You guys are gonna look amazing.
- [26:02]
Ashanti Plummer
She's. But listen, we like baked macaroni and cheese on the side.
- [26:08]
Stephen Curry
You know, this is true. This is true.
- [26:11]
Az Fudd
Well, I had some more questions from his rookie year, but I. We're gonna, we're gonna bring it back. Sorry. Less exciting. The process for, for going to the NBA is way different than the W. You have months to prepare, get ready, combine, train. What was the hardest part about transitioning for you?
- [26:30]
Stephen Curry
I think just getting comfortable with the physical demands because we have a certain. In college, you know, like there's. It's just different in terms of the college practices are insane and hard. I know you, you play for one of the hardest coaches in terms of the expectations on a daily basis. But everybody had that experience of, you know, 6am workouts and weight room and study hall and then back to practice and then like two games a week. So practices were even crazier just because they had the time to run you into the ground. The league is different because it's more self motivated. Like you have to figure it out for yourself how to meet that level of work. Because there's nobody really. You got team camaraderie. I know there's organized team activities and stuff, but for the most part, your prep has to be your own process. And it took me a minute to understand how to set that up to, you know, get me through the. The off season. And thankfully, I got to hang out with Chris Paul a good amount over that summer. And I basically shadowed him for like two months off and on. I even went to. I was joking with him. I went to their family reunion in Orlando. Me and Aisha. Just, we got a room because he was working out in the mornings. And so we went down there for three days and just to see his process, you know, and. And how he showed up every morning with an intention of what he was trying to work on and how he pushed himself even when he didn't have to, how he made himself uncomfortable. That was great to kind of draft off that energy, and it helped me, you know, transition into the league. And then obviously, once you get to training camp, it's a whole nother process. Like, every, every day is something new and something different. It's so cool talking to you literally right now, because you're right in the middle of. Of that. I saw that video yesterday of you during the jump ball situation.
- [28:27]
Az Fudd
Like, were you talking about, like, the handshakes?
- [28:31]
Stephen Curry
Yeah.
- [28:33]
Az Fudd
Well, I don't get. I'm like, I don't know these people yet. Like, do I have to go say hi to them? Like, I don't. I was so.
- [28:38]
Ashanti Plummer
Oh, my gosh.
- [28:39]
Az Fudd
I remember watching that.
- [28:41]
Ashanti Plummer
I was like, she looks just so excited to say hello.
- [28:44]
Az Fudd
I'm like, do I give you a handshake? Do I duck you up? Like, I don't know you?
- [28:49]
Sarah Spain
Like, hi.
- [28:49]
Ashanti Plummer
Hi.
- [28:50]
Az Fudd
Hello. That's so embarrassing.
- [28:53]
Stephen Curry
That was hilarious.
- [28:54]
Sarah Spain
That is so funny.
- [28:57]
Stephen Curry
It's the little stuff like that where you're like, okay, I guess. But then you got locked back into. What was the coverages. What's the first play called? Like, it's just a mental. Mentally exhausting, like, going through all of these reps, but it's going to help you in the long run. So, like, little stuff like that. That always makes me laugh. Just because there's no way to really prepare yourself for what you're about to get into. You just gotta go do it.
- [29:21]
Az Fudd
You just gotta do it. Okay, so how long would you say that it took you to really get down your routine? Because that's like even just the game day routine. Like, I'm looking around, it's so different than college. And I'm trying to look at my vets and people who have A much more of an understanding of what's going on. But like, how did you figure out what works best for you? How long did that take?
- [29:40]
Stephen Curry
So I think the answer to the question is about four years.
- [29:43]
Kiskali Advertisement Voice
Wow.
- [29:44]
Stephen Curry
It took me to understand what worked and what didn't work, what I had time for, what I didn't, how I could blend my process into the game day, practice day, shoot around flows and season. But within that four year process, it was almost like every three months I felt like I was either forced to change something or experimenting on my own. Even the idea. I talked to a lot of young guys today who come, you know, in our locker room. You got to learn how to rest too. That's a hard thing as a young player because you're trained like you got there because of your work ethic, most likely. And the idea of I know I might need to go get a couple extra 100 shots or I might need the 30 minutes, you know, working through some ball handling stuff or whatever. Like those are important. You kind of have to learn yourself as you go, but you still have to balance being sharp and ready, especially if you're playing, you know, minutes as a rookie, which not everybody has that experience. So it's a little different. But that even that part you're always reassessing. Four years is when I got comfortable, but even in that I still was changing things from time to time, but I just got comfortable knowing everything that was going to come at me and I felt like that's the moment where there weren't really any surprises on, on just the day to day experience of being a professional, you know, basketball player.
- [31:06]
Ashanti Plummer
When you think about your rookie year, is there anything that you would change?
- [31:10]
Stephen Curry
Yeah, our win total. We struggling, struggling to get 20 wins. My rookie year, we. Our only thing was chasing. I think we only might be like 23 wins to get Don Nelson the, the record for all time wins as a head coach. It was his last year and he needed, I think it was 23. Like correct me if I'm wrong, but that was our only goal, like the last half of the season was can we get him that record? And when we, we did it in Minnesota and we celebrated like we won a championship and then you came out and like we were 13th place in the west. So it's like
- [31:51]
Ashanti Plummer
baby steps.
- [31:52]
Az Fudd
Celebrate the small wins.
- [31:54]
Stephen Curry
Humble beginning, humble beginnings for sure. But I wouldn't change anything else just because my experience was my own. You had to figure it out.
- [32:04]
Az Fudd
Okay, early on, how did you navigate walking into a locker room with Players already established in the league and trying to find your voice in that space,
- [32:14]
Stephen Curry
that was one of the harder journeys for sure, because even to the point of where we were that year, I had a couple vets, roni Turioff, Corey McGetty and Andres Bedrans, who were kind of the voices that kind of helped me navigate some stuff. They made it hard on me at times, but they showed me so much love. Just introduced me to, you know, again, what the NBA life was like. And then Monte Ellis was kind of in between as a guy that was a budding all Star and trying to get, you know, lead a team himself because he was a part of that, we believe team that had a bunch of older guys and he was the young puppet. And then when I got there, he was considered the vet even though he was in his mid-20s. And that balance was tough because it was tough being two small guards in that backcourt. And we were, you know, he felt like we were underachieving based on where he had been even a couple years before. So me finding my voice as a leader, it was mostly by example and like establishing a trust in my teammates because of my work ethic and how I showed up every day. But I don't think I'm going back to that four year journey. But like that year 4, 5, 6 was kind of when I really became more of a vocal leader. It was very uncomfortable at times because it wasn't that necessarily my strong suit or knowing when and where to say what or when to bring that fiery emotion or when to pull somebody aside and have a one on one conversation, like learning your teammates and what can get the most out of them. There's no playbook for that. You just have to, one, not be afraid of judgment or, you know, fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Like that's easier said than done for anybody. But eventually I think that's where it became known, noticeable that that was important for us to get where we wanted to go. Because I don't think people are going to look at me as the guy on the court playing at the high level and how I work. But that voice matters because they want to know that there's expectations on the line. They want to have, you know, that you got to make people uncomfortable at times. I think that's just a learning curve as you go through, especially if you wanted, like the quieter types. And I think that's who I was early in my career.
- [34:36]
Sarah Spain
This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One. Capital One offers no fees or minimums on checking accounts. Did you know that in January of this year, Flag Football was officially added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, a step toward giving the sport NCAA championship status. Flag Football will make its Olympic debut at LA 2028. Capital One what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bankguy for details. Capital One NA member FDIC hosts compensated
- [35:08]
Kiskali Advertisement Voice
for their time I've seen a lot of tough women in my life, women who fight hard and keep showing up no matter what. And when one of them gets hit with breast cancer, it's brutal. But here's the thing. Even after treatment, breast cancer can come back. That's why I'm telling you about Kiskali. Kiskali ribociclib 200 milligram tablets are taken with an aromatase inhibitor. It's for adults with HR positive, HER2 negative stage 2 or 3 early breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence and it can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back. If you or someone you love went through it, talk to them. Share this. It may not seem helpful, but it's a real way to show up for the women you love or maybe yourself. In a clinical study at three years, 91% of people taking Kiskali plus an aromatase inhibitor were cancer free versus 88% taking an aromatase inhibitor alone. Individual results may vary. Kiskali may cause serious skin reactions, liver problems and low white blood cell counts that may result in serious infections. Life threatening lung problems and abnormal heartbeats can occur. Your doctor should test your heart and blood before and during treatment. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening cough, chest pain or dizziness before taking Cascali. Tell your doctor all your medical conditions, medicines you take and if you're breastfeeding, pregnant or planning to as it can harm an unborn baby. Common side effects include nausea, headache and tiredness. Visit kiskali.com that's K I S Q A L I to learn more and ask your doctor if Kiskali is right for you.
- [36:57]
Sarah Spain
This is Sarah Spain from Good Game with Sarah Spain. As a former college athlete, there were many moments where I second guessed myself. It's natural when you're under pressure. When I had those moments of self doubt, I found that the smallest thing can steady you like a smile. Not because it's easy, but because it reminds you you belong here. You've put in the work. You can handle this. Colgate has supported female athletes for over 50 years with the Colgate Women's Games, helping them build confidence and self esteem while competing for scholarships. The Colgate Women's Games is the nation's longest running indoor track and field series for girls and women. Colgate knows that resilience is the key to better performance. And sometimes resilience takes the shape of a smile. So if you ever doubt yourself, remember your smile is your strength. Brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let's talk eggs. Vital Farms pasture raised eggs to be exact. My favorites. The only kind I've got in my fridge. No joke. And here's why. These aren't your average eggs. The hens live on open pastures with fresh air and sunshine all year long. They forage on local grasses and stretch their wings. They're living their best life. That care really shows in the taste. I love mine scrambled with a little butter or whipped up into a fancy frittata. And here's something most people don't know. You could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Seriously. Side of the carton, you'll find the farm name. Type it in@vitalfarms.com farm and you'll get a 360 degree peek at the Plus. Vital Farms is a certified B corporation, which means they're committed to improving the lives of people, animals and the planet through food. Eggs you could feel good about. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit vitalfarms.com to learn more. Vital Farms Good eggs, no shortcuts
- [38:56]
Az Fudd
it's hard, like obviously not knowing you early in your career, but it's hard to think that you were quieter knowing who you are now.
- [39:04]
Stephen Curry
No, for sure, it's like 17 years. You think about all the different iterations of me as a person, a player. I think I haven't changed much in terms of how I see the world. But I think to your point, yes, it's challenged you and stretch you and force you to mature and grow in different areas that you never really thought you'd have to.
- [39:25]
Ashanti Plummer
I guess you mentioned earlier that you know Chris Paul and you had other great bets who came alongside you. Is there anyone in particular that really like took you under their wing to help you develop your voice and develop your leadership style?
- [39:41]
Stephen Curry
As crazy as it sounds, he's younger than me, but it was Draymond and that my my fourth year. Cause you can you imagine he was the loudest one in the room even in his first year in the locker room like. And as me and his relationship grew, it kind of became important for me to make Sure. I elevated my voice so that he wasn't the only one that you heard on a daily basis. It was kind of like a good yin yang kind of perspective that was necessary. Those guys that I mentioned before were more of the vets that I had that, oh, Darrell Wright was another one as well, who was a guy my second and third year that just had a charisma about him and connected with pretty much everybody in the locker room. So I kind of got to see how he navigated that space. And he was a champion in Miami by the time he came, you know, with us. And so he had been around a successful veteran team, and so he had. He had seen how it's done. And even in that short time, I learned a lot from him. So, yeah, between, you know, my rookie year, vets Darrell, Jarrett, Jack, and Draymond, those are my. My guys that helped me elevate my presence more than just, you know, the skill and the talent.
- [40:54]
Ashanti Plummer
That's awesome. He's going to love hearing that.
- [40:57]
Stephen Curry
That's my guy for sure.
- [41:00]
Az Fudd
This is my last question about your early years, your rookie years. But looking back, what was one thing that you wish you had understood or learned early in your career that you
- [41:10]
Stephen Curry
figured out later on in the league? You realize how fast these games come, and you learn not to dwell on the losses or the bad games for too long. In college, you have a whole week to think about a tough loss in certain situations, and it's miserable. Like, all right, Coach, how many times can we watch film on this exact game? Like, we get it. We were horrible that night. And then you gotta wait forever to go back out and redeem yourself in the league. You gotta turn the page quick, you know, every other night, back to backs and the emotional rollercoaster. I would say learning how to still keep your competitive fire, but try to stay more even keel because it's such a long season, I think, for me was what I wish I learned earlier.
- [42:01]
Az Fudd
You know what, Steph, Go ahead. Wait. Yeah, we still have beef. I have a bone to pick with you. I was in college for five years. Five years. Granted, I didn't play a lot of those years or a lot of those games. That's still five years of opportunity that you had to come to a game, and you didn't. And you didn't.
- [42:22]
Stephen Curry
I'm gonna deflect the blame. You're right. I'm gonna deflect the blame on Adam Silver for not scheduling us in the Northeast at a certain point or at least giving us a day off when Y' all are in the tournament. And then I'm gonna also blame Larry Riley, who drafted me, because if I was in New York, I could have been up there, no problem. They had to put us literally on either side of the coast like I was. You know, when you come to the Bay and you come to Valhalla, and was that June? June something?
- [42:58]
Az Fudd
June 17th is the first time I'm
- [43:00]
Stephen Curry
going to try to make up for five years in one night.
- [43:03]
Az Fudd
You see how he said try? So there's still, like, a back door for him to escape, but that's cool. We'll see. I'll believe it when I see it.
- [43:10]
Stephen Curry
So on you to accept my apology,
- [43:15]
Az Fudd
we'll see. If I forgive you, you have to say a little over a month to figure out your schedule.
- [43:21]
Stephen Curry
That part. That part. I'm going to be there.
- [43:25]
Az Fudd
Okay. Now that we got that out of the way, I mean, you've done and accomplished a ton of things with having a movie come out. Championship. Just what is one thing that you have not done yet that you want to do?
- [43:39]
Stephen Curry
That's a great question. I've been blessed, man. I've had such a blessed NBA experience that just obviously winning another championship is the only real motivator for anything outside of that. I'm going to pivot to golf because that's my other love. Eventually, we're not going to talk basketball, but eventually this is a very niche community that will understand what I'm saying. But I would want to qualify for a U.S. open as an amateur.
- [44:10]
Az Fudd
Oh, wow.
- [44:12]
Stephen Curry
That would be another goal.
- [44:13]
Ashanti Plummer
The popularity of golf is going up.
- [44:16]
Stephen Curry
It's going crazy right now.
- [44:17]
Ashanti Plummer
I see a lot more young people
- [44:19]
Stephen Curry
get into it, and I love that. As they should. There's a lot of room. The water is warm in the golf world, so eventually Ashanti Az. Gotta get y' all out there, too. Az. She's been the top golfer, and I try to help her swing a little bit, but there's some game in there somewhere.
- [44:36]
Az Fudd
Raw talent. I got to work on it. I got to work on skills.
- [44:40]
Ashanti Plummer
Raw talent.
- [44:42]
Az Fudd
Extremely raw.
- [44:43]
Ashanti Plummer
Extremely raw.
- [44:44]
Az Fudd
We could have kept talking for hours. I have so many more questions, comments, things I could ask you, say to you, but we know you're busy, so I really appreciate. We really appreciate you taking the time, spending this time with us today listeners. Thank you guys for watching, for listening, for tuning in. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to FUD around and find out wherever you get your podcasts and we'll see you all next. Steph Again, thank you so much for being here today. But for the last, what, like eight years, you being in my corner, supporting me, being someone I look up to, a mentor, there are not enough words to tell you how grateful and appreciative I am for everything you've done for me.
- [45:23]
Stephen Curry
Super proud of you. Keep going. We're watching every step of the way. You're a pro now, so let's get it, let's get it, let's get it.
- [45:31]
Ashanti Plummer
Thank you so much.
- [45:32]
Az Fudd
Steph Put around and Find out is a production of I Heart Women's Sports and Unanimous Media. Executive producers are Jesse Katz, Eric Payton, Sharla Sumter, Brigitte and Stephen Curry. Co executive producer is Kalena Maria Kutney, producers are Mike Coscarelli, Grace Fuse and Mackenzie Fitzpatricher and co producers are Kurt Redmond, Maya Howard and Jaclyn Schoeninger. This podcast is edited by Mike Coscarelli and hosted by me, Az Fudd and Ashanti Plummer.
- [46:00]
Sarah Spain
Brought to you in part by Vital Farms. Let me tell you why Vital Farms Pasture raised eggs are the only eggs I have in my fridge. The hens, they're living the good life. Fresh air, sunshine and wide open pastures. I use my Vital Farms for my famous frittatas and you could trace your eggs back to the farm they came from. Check the carton for the farm name, pop it into vitalfarms.com farm and boom. You're looking at the pasture. So next time you're in the store, look for the black carton in the egg aisle and visit vitalfarms.com to learn more about Vital Farms. Good eggs, no shortcuts. This sports spotlight is brought to you by Capital One Venture X card, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Did you know that USC great and two time WNBA champ Lisa Leslie was the first player to dunk in the WNBA? In July of 2002, in her second season with the La Sparks, Leslie gathered an outlet pass and threw it down in the open court to make history with Venture X. Enjoy easy to use premium benefits like a 300 annual Capital One travel credit. Plus you can earn unlimited double miles on every purchase. Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details. This is Sarah Spain from Good Game with Sarah Spain. When I competed in track and field at the collegiate level, there were times I second guessed myself. That's why it's important for female athletes to have a space to build confidence and self esteem. Colgate supports female athletes of all levels through the Colgate Women's Games, the nation's longest running indoor track and field series for girls and women. By supporting female athletes, Colgate hopes to put more smiles out into the world. Colgate, your smile is your strength.
- [47:28]
Kiskali Advertisement Voice
Hosts compensated for their time I've seen a lot of tough women in my life, women who fight hard and keep showing up no matter what. And when one of them gets hit with breast cancer, it's brutal. But here's the thing and even after treatment, breast cancer can come back. That's why I'm telling you about Kiskali. Kiskali ribociclib 200mg tablets are taken with an aromatase inhibitor. It's for adults with HR positive HER 2 negative stage 2 or 3 early breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence and it can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back. If you or someone you love went through it, talk to them. Share this. It may not seem helpful, but it's a real way to show up for the women you love or maybe yourself. In a clinical study at three years, 91% of people taking Kiskali plus an aromatase inhibitor were cancer free versus 88% taking an aromatase inhibitor alone. Individual results may vary. Kiskali may cause serious skin reactions, liver problems and low white blood cell counts that may result in serious infections. Life threatening lung problems and abnormal heartbeats can occur. Your doctor should test your heart and blood before and during treatment. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening cough, chest pain or dizziness before taking Cascali. Tell your doctor all your medical conditions, medicines you take and if you're breastfeeding pregnant or planning to be as it can harm an unborn baby. Common side effects include nausea, headache and tiredness. Visit kiskali.com that's K I S Q A L I to learn more and ask your doctor if Kiskali is right for you.
- [49:17]
Sarah Spain
This is an I Heart Podcast Guaranteed human.