Jeff Teague is two full seasons removed from the NBA, ensconced as head coach at Pike High School, his alma mater in Indianapolis. Basically a whole basketball lifetime since 2017 preseason action with the Minnesota Timberwolves, though, Teague still can't get over what Stephen Curry did to him during an exhibition game in China.

Teague recalled the Golden State Warriors superstar's erstwhile, largely forgotten offensive explosion on the Club 520 Podcast, recalling how then-Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau—among basketball's foremost defensive innovators—lauded his individual defense despite Curry dropping 40 points in front of a fawning Shenzhen audience.

“I wasn't trying to get embarrassed. There's 100,000 people in the stands in China,” Teague said. “So I'm like, ‘F**k that, he ain't about to kill me.' But I swear to you, I never played this hard. Thibs after the game came to me and said that's the best defense I've ever played. Steph Curry had 44. He hit every shot, bro. He hit every shot. I contested every one, bro.”

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Forgive Teague for his unintentional embellishment. Curry came up four points shy of 44 and didn't quite “hit every shot” in the Warriors' 142-110 win over the Timberwolves on October 8th, 2017. But 13-of-20 shooting overall and 6-of-9 from deep is plenty impressive regardless, especially considering Teague's dogged attempt to keep Stephen Curry in check.

Almost six years later, Curry is still fully capable of those supernova offensive outbursts—even under the duress of a road Game 7. After a 12-year playing career, completely overlapping with Curry's time in the league, what a relief for Teague he can fondly remember what it's like trying and failing to defend the greatest shooter ever.