“Felt like Forrest Gump” - Stephen Curry gets honest about his darkest days in the NBA
Stephen Curry
© David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen Curry was drafted 7th, behind two other point guards, in the 2009 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. While he was always an exemplary shooter from behind the arc, not many expected the young sensation to change the course of the modern-day NBA. The biggest reason for that was Steph’s injury concerns during his initial years with the Dubs.
These were the ‘darkest’ days for the 3-Point King as he emphasized in an exclusive interview with ESPN recently.
“The injuries keep you off the court so consistently, so frequently that you start to doubt everything that you poured into your craft and the cloud hanging over, ‘Will I be healthy enough just to get my two feet on the floor and give myself an opportunity to be the player that I wanna be?’" The two-time NBA MVP said.
Early-career struggles
For those who are not aware, Stephen Curry took center stage, courtesy of his shooting abilities, yet his ankle injury was a major concern early in his career.
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Although this baby-faced assassin featured in 74 games for GSW in his sophomore season, his ankle concerns were evidently halting his trajectory. Things went haywire for Dell Curry’s eldest son in the 2011-12 season—played in only 26 games—when his ankle injury almost saw him being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“That was over a two-year stretch, off and on, where a lot of dark days, a lot of patience, a lot of support from family, people that you trust who can speak positivity in life into you, confidence into you. I felt like Forrest Gump without the big braces, so it was a weird time."
Stephen Curry’s latest injury woe
The ankle is one area of major concern for Curry even to date. In the month of December, Steph not only had a shoulder injury but had major concerns in his ankle region as well. Due to this, Steve Kerr took no chance with his marquee scorer and eventually decided to bench him for a span of 11 games.
Having featured in 30 regular season games in the 2022-23 season for the defending champions, the reigning NBA Finals MVP has averaged 29.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
That being said, as Steph, too, acknowledged, he has battled it out rigorously to gain back his best shooting form despite suffering from different injuries early. The fact that has overcome the obstacles so efficiently adds to his greatness, as he continues to be one of the best players in the Association.
