The Second Coming of Stephen Curry

The Golden State Warriors currently find themselves in a unique transitional phase: The team is getting older and younger at the same time. With Curry and Thompson and Iguodala and Green all now in their 30s, they’ve furnished the next generation of their roster with players like Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody. They aren’t in rebuild mode, and their best players still seem to have a lot left in the tank, but they are mindful of continuity and how to remain in contention when the sun sets on the careers of their core players. With this in mind, Kerr highlights Curry’s shift in leadership. “Well, he’s never been a yell-and-scream type of guy,” Kerr says. “He likes pulling guys aside and giving advice quietly. But now, he’s much more likely to speak up in front of the team than he was five years ago. He’s one of the oldest guys on the team, and he recognizes the responsibility that comes with that.”

Curry is something of a master of team dynamics, having had to grow into a leader with little in the way of a road map. When he came to Golden State, there were veterans, but there wasn’t a winning culture. Curry, Green, and Thompson had to figure out their own leadership styles, but also how to pass down what they learned when the time came. And that time is now. The team is pursuing another title while its best players simultaneously cling to their prime and condition their young and talented teammates to keep up. It’s an alarming balance, one that might be easier if Golden State’s centerpieces were in the twilight of their careers, playing through farewell tours.

When Curry considers the construction of the team and his current responsibilities within the Warriors ecosystem, he grins. “Well, it’s also weird because when we won our first championship, in 2015, Jordan Poole was 15 years old,” he says. “Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody were like freshmen in high school, and now they’re here. It’s weird to think they were watching us like we were almost basketball gods.” He laughs, and then offers an accepting shrug. “And now they’re here helping us do it again.”

This specific nostalgia rings true for Jordan Poole, who summons a specific memory of Curry’s greatness: his infamous game-winning pull-up three against Oklahoma City in 2016. “I grew up in Milwaukee, so I was mostly getting Eastern Conference games on television,” Poole says. “That was the rare night I got a Western Conference game, and it didn’t disappoint.”

For Poole, the transition from spectator to participant has been surreal. Curry, Thompson, Green, and Iguodala were all part of “a world-changing dynasty,” he says—one that he’s now fighting to keep alive. And he’s doing so by looking to Curry’s leadership. “Having someone of his stature take you under his wings, someone who has so much experience on the court and so much knowledge in life, pays huge dividends,” he says. “He opened my eyes so much to the game of basketball. He does a great job of demonstrating patience with the team, especially the young guys.”