"Almost dislocated Steph Curry’s shoulder": NBA fans accuse Lakers' $10,524,700 guard of intentionally hurting Warriors' superstar

Steph Curry began his 17th NBA season on Tuesday when the Golden State Warriors tipped off their campaign against the LA Lakers. Curry proved to be a headache for the Purple and Gold on defense, and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart pulled out all his tricks to contain the Warriors' point guard.

Smart, who signed a two-year, $10,524,700 contract in the offseason, put pressure on Curry by using excessive physicality. In one moment during the second quarter, the Lakers guard hooked Curry's right arm and shoved the four-time champion on the floor. Curry was visibly frustrated with the uber-physicality used by Smart.

The referee quickly called a foul on Smart and penalized the Lakers guard for his controversial action. The video of the play went instantly viral on social media as fans slammed and accused Smart of trying to injure Steph Curry.

"Marcus Smart almost dislocated Steph Curry’s shoulder," a fan commented.

LakeShowYo

@LakeShowYo

Marcus Smart almost dislocated Steph Curry’s shoulder 😳

Commented another:

30🅿️roblemz

@30problemz

Marcus Smart trying to dislocate Curry’s shoulder… Weirdo

A fan said:

Kate

@ktfast5

Didn’t he seriously hurt Curry when he was with the Celtics?

Said another:

justfax

@justfax15

He’s been trying to injure Steph for years now. Dirty player.

A fan wrote:

WW3 draft dodger🐭🐝 🥚

@Political_hoops

Fu*k this nig*a he been trying to injure curry since he was on the Celtics

Wrote another:

Stephen Curry fan

@stephforthree30

Marcus smart is so asss

Steph Curry prevails in matchup vs. Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart hounded Steph Curry throughout the course of the game. The Lakers' defensive demon stayed attached to the Warriors' superstar, allowing little to no space for him to operate freely. Curry was flustered with Smart's defensive pressure a couple of times, but the veteran found a way to make plays for the Dubs.

Curry didn't have his most efficient performance on offense, but did just enough to ensure the Warriors began the season with a win. The two-time league MVP dropped 23 points on 6 of 14 shooting, including 3 of 9 from beyond the arc, and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. He also recorded one rebound, four assists, three steals and one block in 32 minutes.

On the flip side, Smart was the first player off the bench for the Lakers. He ended the night with nine points on 3 of 6 shooting, 0 of from 3-point range, and 3 of 4 from the charity stripe, while also recording a steal in 23 minutes.