"Whatever it is, he’s got answers.": Warriors' Moses Moody on Steph Curry's leadership, Golden State's hot start and more (Exclusive)

Perhaps more impressive than Stephen Curry’s shooting outbursts: is how the Golden State Warriors’ star leads with both conviction and humility.

“He’s not going to force anything on you. But if you go ask him, he’ll open up and tell you whatever you want to hear,” Warriors guard Moses Moody told Sportskeeda. “He’s smart. He knows what he’s doing in all aspects of life.”

Moses Moody spoke to Sportskeeda about various topics, including Curry’s leadership, his recent extension, adjusting to a fluid role and his various charity initiatives.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

Did you see the start coming given all the fluidity with the roster?

Moody: “In the summertime and preseason, I was confident in the team just with the energy that we had. It felt really promising coming in.”

What did you see?

Moody: “Just the number of guys. Even before preseason, we were in the summertime playing pickup and everything. I saw the system around here with how we play and like to play. I just saw how well the guys that we brought in could fit.”

I also heard you said on Draymond [Green]’s recent podcast that you liked the vibes during training camp in Hawaii. Can you paint a picture on what that was like?

Moody: “Yeah, it was really good energy in Hawaii. Not even just on the court, but for one, Hawaii was beautiful and amazing to go to and experience. But the organization allowed everyone to bring family members. So that always warms up the energy and the vibe, wherever we’re going. We’re getting to know these players and getting to know these players’ families. And then we’re going to the gym and competing. It was a great time.”

What team bonding stuff could you do over there?

Moody: “We didn’t do much specific team bonding. But we did some floating yoga sessions on the water on the beach. It was cool. It was fun. It was outside on the grass by the water. We did our movement stuff in a cool atmosphere while doing it. So that made it more fun.”

You’re all off to a strong start. But given the league landscape, what will it take besides health for it to stay that way?

Moody: “We have the key, which is depth. We can withstand a lot when players go down. Not every good team can do that.”

They drafted you for a reason and have liked your development. But did you see the extension deal coming?

Moody: “This is my first time going through it. So you never really know what to expect when it comes to that. You just hear what other people say. But I’m happy with the outcome with it. Just to have that comfort to get that done and then go into the season being able to work toward the next one.”

In light of all the roster changes, I understand you did a lot of prep work to prepare for a bigger role. What did that entail?

Moody: “I was working out at Pro Active in LA with my man Nash on the court and then in the weight room. There was a lot of teaching. He knows a lot when it comes to basketball. So I was on the court learning a lot of different fundamental things. It was just movement - how to stop, how to go, how to get into the shot. There was ball handling, but there was more movement than ball handling and how looking at how movement translates to ball handling.”

Steve [Kerr] has said your next step involves getting more looks with catch-and-shoot and getting more looks at the rim. To what extent does that work relate to this?

Moody: “Yeah, it’s all about trying to execute on those things. But it’s one thing to work on it in the summertime in the gym by yourself and then doing it in a pick-up game. Being able to implement it into the NBA game is different. That’s what I’ve been doing so far with trying to see where it fits and where it doesn’t fit.”

What has enabled you to be so even keel and prepared through your fluid playing time with the Warriors?

Moody: “It’s about controlling yourself and controlling your emotions. Growing up to be a grown man is a big part of it. Emotions are emotions, whether they’re because of basketball or because they are part of real life. It’s just about being who you are and being okay with doing that. But Steve is a Hall-of-Fame coach. I’m able to be around that and pick up things as he talks to other players during timeouts and pick up gems.”

What has Steph done to manage a smooth transition with all the roster changes this summer?

Moody: “Steph is Steph. He is the player that he is. But he also is a really good person. He’s teaching and coaching with all the gems that he gives on the plane and in the locker room in conversations. He’s not going to offer it up for no reason if you don’t want it. He’s not going to force anything on you. But if you go ask him, he’ll open up and tell you whatever you want to hear. He’s smart. He knows what he’s doing in all aspects of life. You’re able to ask him questions about basketball, about finances, about business, about family. Whatever it is, he’s got answers.”

Which gems stick with you the most?

Moody: “We’ve had a lot of good conversations over the years. But I like to learn a lot through observations. People can tell you one thing. But you can see what they’re doing. That’s being proactive in your development. So I observe him. I watch how he moves. I watch how he dribbles. I watch how he gets to the lane and draws contact. I watch how he gets open for shots, how he gets off balance for his shots, how he turns, how he follows through. I’m not watching those things because I’m going to do it exactly like he does it. But he’s a really good player. I watch a lot of players.”

Which players do you watch?

Moody: “I watch everybody. I watch everybody on this team. I even have a notepad. There’s something I take from every player that I’ve played on a team with, from Chris Chiozza, Quindary Weatherspoon my rookie year, JaMychal Green, Juan Toscano-Anderson, CP (Chris Paul). I got everybody. I pay attention to other players around the league, too. I like to watch highlights and look at what works for other players. I like to watch how people score. Everybody here in the NBA is really good at something. So I like to realize why somebody is good, and take notes from anybody.”

When you watched the Olympics, how do you compare Steph’s performance and his dagger 3 in the gold-medal game to all the amazing things he’s done when you’ve played with him?

Moody: “It’s fitting. I’ve seen him do it before in practices and games. When he finds that rhythm and finds that flow, anything can happen.”

You went to Africa this past summer for ‘Basketball without Borders.’ What were the highlights of that trip?

Moody: “That was amazing being able to go to Africa. I took my family – my parents, my brother, my grandma. Being able to experience it was unbelievable. I’m going to go back as much as I can whenever I can to different countries. That’s really my spot that I want to go explore. It’s the people over there, for one, and how there is a peace and a calm that they have. Even though some of them don’t have as much, they were happier than a lot of people here that have so much more. They were calm and peaceful in conversations. I really enjoyed it.”

How did that impact you?

Moody: “It was cool to see a world that’s untampered. I’m not even saying there is anything wrong with America. But it was different than what I’m used to. I’m used to America. So being able to see people live completely different was really cool. I also have a foundation and I do stuff back home. I did an event at a youth summit that exposed kids to different trades. A lot of them play basketball, and do that until they can’t. But then they don’t have any other skills. This exposes them to trades. We have people out there changing tires, laying bricks, cutting hair. There are a lot of jobs around basketball, like the job that you have, that a lot of kids don’t know about. So it’s about exposing them to things like that.”

Why did that idea resonate with you?

Moody: “I’ve done a basketball camp a couple of times over the years, and it’s fun. Kids come play basketball for a day, and then go home. But I didn’t feel like I was really doing anything to change anybody. So I was sitting there pondering how can I make a difference in these kids’ lives. That’s what I came up with.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.