"I'm in the locker room like, 'Nah, this can't be what it's like'" - Josh Richardson on Stephen Curry lighting him up during his rookie year
By the 2015-16 season, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry had already established himself as one of, if not the best point guard in the NBA. At that point, he had already led the Dubs to the championship and won the MVP award the previous season.
Curry's reputation was unmatched, and his skills were awe-inspiring. But, despite those accomplishments, some players still believed they could body up the "Baby-Faced Assassin" and get him off his game.
Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson was one such player. Although he was still a rookie, he established himself as a defensive specialist at Tennessee. However, Richardson soon learned that all his defensive prowess in the NCAA meant nothing when guarding "Chef Curry."
Rook learned a lesson
Whether veterans or rookies, NBA players have plenty of confidence in their abilities. In fact, this is a must if you plan on thriving at this level. Although J-Rich didn't play much early in his rookie campaign, he soon became part of the rotation. On February 24, 2016, he finally tasted what the "Chef" was cooking.
“We play the Warriors at home, and this is the 2015-16 season. Goran comes back that game, but I come off the bench, and my first matchup is Steph,” Josh told Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller on "The OGs Show."
At this point, Richardson believed that a bit of physicality would faze the Warriors legend. But as many before him learned, Curry is a tough nut to crack.
“You know me, I walk in and chest him up as soon as I get in the game on the inbound. I'm just pushing him, like, ‘Yeah, you not doing that tonight. Not on me, brother,’” Josh said. “About 36 minutes later, and 42 Steph points later…”
For all of J-Rich's defensive efforts, Curry finished the game with 42 points, going 14-for-29 from the field and draining six triples. He also had seven rebounds and seven assists in a well-rounded performance that helped push the Warriors past the Heat, 118-112.
A reality check
For Josh, Steph's scintillating performance was another reminder of how elite players in the NBA can be downright ruthless. Although he played well in that game, compiling 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 28 minutes, all Richardson could think about afterward was how Steph had completely taken over the game.
“I'm in the locker room, and I'm like, ‘Nah, this can't be what it's like.’ I'm taking my stuff off, thinking, ‘This ain't it,’” J-Rich remembered with amusement.
To be fair, Josh wasn't the first so-called "defensive specialist" to get torched by Curry like that. And he certainly wasn’t the last.
