Stephen Curry isn’t easily impressed by his peers. The 6-foot-2 Warriors star has had to have strong self-belief throughout his career in order to become the NBA’s all-time three-point scoring leader. Fast forward to 2023, new arrival and French sensation Victor Wembanyama hasn’t won over the guard entirely… yet.
Curry made a guest appearance on the Warriors-centered Dubs Talk podcast and was asked if Wembanyama is the biggest NBA outlier ever. Curry immediately thought of a family friend and former Charlotte Hornets legend as the true holder of that honor.
His pick was Muggsy Bogues, the sensational 5-foot-3 point guard who left his mark on NBA history (from 1987-2001). Bogues played alongside Dell Curry, Steph’s dad, in a memorable squad including Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson.
“Oh Muggsy, for sure. You look at the highlights. I guess it’s one thing if you’re an NBA player and you know what the physicality is like, you know what the athleticism is like, and you’re just imagining a 5-foot-3 dude out here running around”, he said.
Steph Curry went a step further, stating that Bogues did much more than hold his weight: “Not just existing – that’s disrespectful to Muggs. But like impacting games and running a team and putting fear into certain opponent’s hearts. You can’t dribble around him”.
He was impacting games and running a team and putting fear into certain opponent’s hearts. You can’t dribble around him
The Victor Wembanyama hype train is alive and well one month into the NBA regular season. After a year filled with fascination surrounding the 7-foot-4 rookie, the French giant with guard-like abilities has started his pro career strong: averaging 19.2 points and 9.5 rebounds with 43% FG shooting.
One of the NBA’s most entertaining moments of the year came late in the 2023 preseason, when the Warriors faced the Spurs. Wembanyama, as usual, was set to take the tip-off. What he didn’t expect was Curry, who is over a foot shorter, to be the man to challenge him. It was clear Wemby was even more baffled by Curry’s confident demeanor before the moment. Naturally, the Frenchman won the jump ball with ease.