Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry will make his first appearance in the Olympic games this summer, where he will be coached by Steve Kerr. According to Kerr, Curry is excited about this opportunity as he will be an instrumental piece not just to elevate his teammates but also for the coaching staff.
“I know how excited he is to play in his first Olympics. Let’s face it, he’s a great fit for any league in the world. The best shooter. He’s such an easy player for others to play with and so he fits perfectly into this kind of challenge where you’re trying to develop continuity quickly,” Kerr said in a press conference on Thursday, June 27 over Zoom.
Leaning on Steph
Curry, who turned 36 years old last March, is one of the three veterans on the roster alongside LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Throughout his 15-year NBA career, he’s only seen the international stage once, particularly in the 2014 FIBA World Cup which was why Kerr emphasized that it’s been 10 years since he last competed outside of the US.
But despite the fact that the Warriors guard is playing in his first Olympics, Kerr said that he’s going to rely on Curry’s leadership a lot given that he’s very familiar with the coaching style.
“It’s his first Olympics, a chance to play with so many great players and I’m excited to continue to coach him after 10 years. I know he will make my job easier because he’ll talk to the other guys about some of my tendencies and what I’m looking for so it’s very helpful to have him on this roster,” Kerr added.
On Curry teaming up with LeBron James
Not only will the world see Curry on the Olympic stage for the first time, but he’ll also be wearing the same uniform as his NBA rival, LeBron James. This resembles the Dream Team’s version of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The best thing about James and Curry’s partnership is that these two generational players complement each other’s game very well.
“Yeah, I think LeBron and Steph are really excited to play together. I’ve talked to both of them about this idea of being together after going up against one another with such high stakes over the years. They obviously fit really well together,” Kerr mentioned.
The USA men’s basketball team will hold its training camp in Las Vegas from July 26 to August 11 before competing in the Olympics. Before the official games begin, the team will also play against Canada, Australia, Serbia, South Sudan, and Germany in their exhibition window.
