Stephen Curry has taken his play style and made it one unlike any other seen in NBA history. A long-range assassin that can move around and keep the defense at his mercy — whether it's making buttery-smooth jumpers or picking his spots to set up his teammates with surgeon-like precision.
But just about every player has had an inspiration — someone who they've looked up to, watched, and mimicked until they were able to somewhat replicate their game — intrinsically becoming a part of their genuine growth as basketball players.
“I had two guys I idolized and wanted to morph together to bring that into my style: Reggie Miller and Steve Nash,” Curry told Robby Kalland of UpRoxx Sports. “I just loved what they were able to do. Obviously, Steve with the ball and his creativity and balance of passing and shooting. Then Reggie with what he was able to do off the ball and his clutch gene and his competitiveness. I wanted to kinda morph those two guys together.”
Nash has the role of team consultant for the Golden State Warriors, and his relationship with Curry has been nothing but a seamless transition from Western Conference foe to mentor that can point out a thing or two from his 18-year NBA experience.
The two possess incredible control of the ball and the ability to play with a control flair to their game, while sinking the dagger on anyone who dares leave them open on the perimeter.
Like Miller, Curry has a nag for the dramatic moments and loves taking the important shots in the fourth quarter as much as those half-court heaves to beat the buzzer any chance he gets.
“Oh, and for some reason I loved Byron Russell,” added the 29-year-old reigning MVP. “I don’t know why, but he was one of my favorite players and to this day I couldn’t tell you why.”
While there aren't many similarities between Curry and Russell, the Warriors point guard has made the most of Russell's influence and grown into a superstar so mind-blowing that NBA 2K statistics had to be changed to adjust to his unlimited range potential.
Having passed Nash in the all-time three-pointers made list, Curry will aim to dethrone Miller, sitting just 695 treys away from doing so. Given Curry's record-breaking seasons shooting the three-ball, it will likely take only a bit longer than two seasons for him to reach the mark at his current average of 305 made threes during the past four seasons.
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