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The NBA has always been in good hands. From Bill Russell to Michael Jordan to LeBron James, the NBA has always had terrific players representing the league in the best possible manner.
The transition from every great player to the next great one, from generation to generation – be it from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson or from Kobe Bryant to LeBron – has always been seamless. The league has hardly ever experienced any significant void in finding a superstar player that represents everything good about the league.
But there are some stars who come preordained for the job. They combine the best of everything, representing the NBA in such a way that it blurs the boundaries between greatness on and off the court. They wear their stardom lightly, giving fans, across teams and outside of the sport, a feeling that they belong to each one of them.
Stephen Curry is the man of the moment for the NBA in this regard. He is the perfect embodiment of the faultless role model for the league. One could put forth a concrete argument that Curry’s own popularity reflects the NBA’s popularity.
Whether on the court or away from the hardwood, Curry’s admirers grow exponentially wherever he goes. Here are three such reasons then as to why Curry is the perfect brand ambassador for the NBA currently.
#1 Stephen Curry has got game
It goes without saying that Stephen Curry is a great player. That is the most basic requirement to represent the league. You cannot be anything less than the best to be the league’s poster boy across the globe. From winning two league MVPs to winning three NBA championships, Curry has also shown that he is capable of achieving both at personal and team levels.
But Stephen Curry is also unique. He's not Kobe Bryant following in Michael Jordan’s shadow. He has changed the way kids dream about the game of basketball across the world. Because of his success with shooting the three-ball, Curry has given hope to millions, not necessarily endowed with height or superhuman athleticism, that they too can play this game of giants.
Stephen Curry has gone where few others have gone before him. He is the only player to cross 400 three-pointers in a single NBA season. Not only does he sit within reach of shattering Ray Allen’s mark of most career three-pointers by an NBA player, but there is also a good chance that Stephen Curry will likely broach the career 4,000 threes mark, an unthinkable milestone for the best three-point shooters even today.
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#2 Stephen Curry is hardly controversial
This is one of Stephen Curry’s biggest plus points; his ability to keep controversy at an arm’s distance. Over the years, NBA stars, whether it be Michael Jordan and his alleged gambling addiction, Kobe Bryant and his sexual assault case, or LeBron James’ infamous episode of The Decision, controversies have given each of these players their fair share of detractors.
The infamy arising from each of these transgressions by the player in question has lingered around their persona even as the years have passed.
But there is hardly anything wrong that can be said about Stephen Curry. He is more Rafael Nadal than John McEnroe, more Lionel Messi than Diego Maradona. Is Stephen Curry, therefore, simply a product of the times that he lives in? Possibly yes, but he also doesn’t make controversial remarks and neither does he throw mud at others by logging into burner accounts.
The most Stephen Curry can be accused of is for throwing a mouthpiece at a fan in Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals. On that occasion too, he was quick to apologize to the fan who was hit by his mouthguard.
Or worse still, there was that one time when he threw his mouthpiece at the ref during a regular-season game in 2017 and did not apologize for it. But there isn’t much more wrongdoing that you can put on Curry. He's been loyal to Golden State and is a great teammate and a fan-favorite irrespective of team affiliation.
#3 Stephen Curry enjoys life away from the NBA
One of the NBA’s great stars during the 2000s was Tim Duncan. The 5-time NBA champion was a mainstay of the San Antonio Spurs team right until he retired in 2016. Duncan was a 15-time All-Star and a three-time Finals MVP. He is an absolute legend of the game, an iconic frontcourt player who was also a great teammate. But Duncan hated the limelight. He largely stayed away from all the endorsements, the hype and hoopla that comes with being an NBA superstar.
Stephen Curry is different in this regard. Being in the public eye comes naturally to him. Whether he is attending the 2021 Met Gala or having some fun with golf legend Phil Mickelson or announcing a new partnership with media and broadcasting giant Comcast NBCUniversal, he does it with flair and style.
Curry is also not beyond putting out the public display of affection with wife Ayesha Curry. He enjoys spending time with his family. He combines all this fun and entertainment with several charitable endeavors. Even American Presidents cannot resist the magnetic personality of Stephen Curry.
Really, there is hardly a foot that Stephen Curry has put wrong in his 12-year NBA career. His arrival couldn’t have come at a better time for the league.
Guess the Lakers players!
