Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As one of the best basketball players on the planet, everyone knows what Stephen Curry can do. He’s as explosive as a player can get and can score points in bunches.
But it wasn’t so easy for Curry early on. When he first entered the league and started making a name for himself, he was initially slowed down by a series of ankle injuries. To many, Curry was at risk of becoming one of those ‘what if’ type of players.
Instead, he overcame his problems and went on to establish himself as the greatest shooter in history. To NBA legend Tim Hardaway, it’s one of the most impressive accomplishments of his career.
(via Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area):
“What he’s doing, and how he’s doing it, it’s crazy,” Hardaway told NBC Sports Bay Area this week. “It’s crazy. It’s ridiculous. And the clip that he’s doing it? It’s crazy.
“A lot of people thought he was out and done. That he was going to be hurt, that his career was going to be over because of the ankle injuries,” Hardaway said of Curry. “He worked on getting his ankles strong. And he came back and showed people, ‘Yeah, I’m here to stay and I’m here to play hard and I’m here to win games for this organization and win championships.'”
Basketball Legend Tim Hardaway Lauds Stephen Curry’s Resilience In The Face Of Early Ankle Injuries.
In the 2022 Finals, Curry delivered a signature performance that helped the Warriors capture their fourth title in eight years.
For the first time in his career, he was named Finals MVP.
Hardaway, like the rest of the sports world, was particularly impressed with Curry’s performance in the 2022 postseason, which culminated with the Warriors winning their fourth NBA Finals in eight seasons and Steph earning his first Finals MVP award.
“I could see how focused he was,” Hardaway said. “How focused he was and how he was out there playing and understood what he needed to do for his team to win. And he went out there and did it – offensively and defensively.”
“I commend him.”
Curry is cut above the typical NBA athlete. Despite his relatively small size and frame, he plays with a big personality and has proven time and time again that he can be counted on when his team needs him most.
In the face of fierce opponents, never before seen challenges, and a series of ankle injuries, Curry has a tendency to respond in a big way, and Tim Hardaway is hardly the first one to recognize it.
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