Steph Curry has played alongside five different All-Stars with the Golden State Warriors since entering the NBA as a rookie out of Davidson in 2009, ranging from David Lee to Kevin Durant to his longtime backcourt mate Klay Thompson.
With those groups of star teammates over the years, Curry led the Warriors to four championships and established a dynasty in the Bay Area. But when asked to name the teammate he’s always wanted to play with, Curry didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Tim Duncan,” Curry said to his father, Dell Curry, on his new Heat Check podcast. “I don’t know Tim that well, but coach [Steve] Kerr mentioned there’s a lot of similarities between the way I approach leadership and development and culture in the locker room, the consistency around it, and the way that Tim handled his career. ”
Kerr played four seasons alongside Duncan on the San Antonio Spurs and won two championships together in 1999 and 2003. He’s also had a front-row seat in the prime years of Curry’s career after getting hired by the Warriors ahead of the 2014-15 NBA season.
Duncan was 32 years old and in his 13th NBA season when Curry entered the NBA. They collided for one playoff series in the 2013 Western Conference semifinals—Curry’s first playoff run—with Duncan and the Spurs sending the Warriors home in six games.
[Duncan] is obviously one of the greatest power forwards in the history of the league,” Curry said. “But when you have somebody that, one, played for the same franchise his whole career, again, was a guy that no matter what point in your career you play with him, everybody has just amazing things to say about his leadership ability and his ability to lift an organization and franchise like that for his entire career.
“He’s a true champion and a winner. … But it’d be awesome to play with him.”
