Stephen Curry has surprised many with his on-court feats, but the Golden State Warriors star impressed newcomer Alen Smailagic, the second of three draft picks in 2019, with his language-speaking skills.
According to the rookie big man, who had played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League last season, Curry cursed at him the first time they met as a sign of camaraderie:
“I will never forget coming to Golden State and my first interaction with Steph Curry. When he heard where I was from, he immediately cursed at me in Serbian,” Smailagic told Republika, a Serbian publication. “But I know where it came from, before me, Ognjen Kuzmic and Nemanja Nedovic were with the club. They only taught him swearing in Serbian.”
Curry hasn't been known to curse much, but being willing to make exceptions is the name of the game, especially if it gains him a new friend.
Kuzmic, who had a brief stint with the Warriors from 2013-15, and Nedovic, who had an even shorter cup of tea with the team during the 2013-14 season, are well-versed in Serbian curse words and could spare some time to teach Curry the ropes to make a proper introduction.
But his foreign cursing skills are far from the only impression Smailagic has gotten from the two-time MVP:
“He is a cruel professional, he trains like crazy, but God forbid you annoy him. Then you broke, you lost. He hits everyone, even from impossible positions,” said Smailagic. “He looks like a beardless young man that's 20 (years old), and he turned 32.”
“Smiley” has impressed during his rookie season, showing he has the chops for a bright future, even as he's still filling out his body at a ripe 19 years old. His soft-touch and never-ending motor will play a part in the Warriors' roster soon enough, once he develops other areas of his game.
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