As Desmond Bane begins his first season with the Orlando Magic, the veteran guard has drawn comparisons to some of the game’s best shooters. But Bane says what separates him from Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry comes down to one factor: the hours of work put in over time.
In an interview with SportsKeeda’s Mark Medina, Bane reflected on how his college coaches once framed the difference between himself and NBA sharpshooters such as Curry, former Warrior Klay Thompson, and Buddy Hield.
“The work. That’s all that really determines your success at the end of the day. How much time do you put in? One of my college coaches used to tell me that the only difference between me and Steph Curry, me and Klay Thompson, me and Buddy Hield – all of these guys I was looking up to at the time – is that they have more hours in the gym. Once he said that, I said, ‘Well there is only one way to catch up to them.’”
Bane has built a reputation as one of the league’s most consistent perimeter threats. Last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, he made 164 three-pointers while shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc. Curry, long regarded as the greatest shooter in league history, connected on 311 triples at a 39.7 percent clip. Thompson, now with the Dallas Mavericks, hit 216 threes on 39.1 percent shooting, while Hield finished at 37 percent with 203 made.
Desmond Bane works to narrow Stephen Curry gap as he joins Magic
Though Bane’s volume has yet to reach the level of Curry, his efficiency has placed him among the NBA’s upper tier of shooters. The 27-year-old guard said his focus remains on narrowing that gap through preparation and continuing to develop his offensive game.
Bane’s move to Orlando came in a major offseason transaction that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and a first-round swap to Memphis. The deal paired him with All-Star forward Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on a roster that already made consecutive playoff appearances.
While Bane is focused on his role with the Magic, he made clear that he continues to root for his former teammates in Memphis. Drafted by the Grizzlies in 2020, he played five seasons alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., helping the franchise to four straight postseason trips, including a run to the Western Conference semifinals in 2022.
“I’m rooting for Memphis 80 games out of the year,” Bane told SportsKeeda. “I hope they do well. I got a lot of guys out of there that are up for contracts and things like that. So I want it to work out for them and that they get everything that they deserve.”
Now in Orlando, Bane said his skillset complements the team’s foundation. Alongside Banchero, Wagner, and newly signed guard Tyus Jones, he expects to provide spacing, leadership, and playoff-tested experience as the Magic push to take the next step in the Eastern Conference.
Orlando will open training camp Tuesday before tipping off the 2025-26 season at home against the Miami Heat on Oct. 22.
