Stephen Curry (Photo : Reuters)
Stephen Curry is known to be one of the most humble superstars in professional sports but has his phenomenal success gotten to his head?
Prior to winning the NBA Most Valuable Player last season, that distinction was once held by Kevin Durant. Durant was known as a soft-spoken player, he even rejected threatening monikers (Durantula, The Slim Reaper) and wanted to be called "The Servant." He was also one of media's most well-loved personalities.
Nowadays, Durant has shown his dark streak as he already had feuds with the media, most notably one with Stephen A. Smith of First Take wherein Durant called the latter a liar.
It seems inevitable for a superstar to fall into the trap of being labeled as arrogant. As the team leader, he sets the tone for the rest of the team. He has to evoke the confidence and intensity to drive them to victory, and motivate them by celebrating their success.
The topic was brought to light by Blue Man Hoop, a Golden State Warriors team site, when SB Nation tweeted Curry's "shimmy" reaction after shooting a corner three in Jeff Teague's face, right in front of the Atlanta Hawks bench.
Steph Curry doesn't always shimmy, but when he does, it's after he hits another 3. https://t.co/UkB3Io5PpT https://t.co/5zC9RkoNm4
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) February 23, 2016
Curry has often used the "three" hand signal whenever he, or even his teammates hit a three-point shot. Every NBA fan knows that it happens quite often, and it is accepted to celebrate, but have Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors crossed the line?
If there was a line that Curry and the Warriors did cross, they would have been the last team to do it. BMH reasons that Curry's reaction was well within the context of the game. More players have more animated, even violent reactions for less significant achievements.
ESPN also recounted the play, and noted that the first impression of Curry's reaction was that he is now an assassin, also trying to break the opponent's spirit just like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant before him.
However, the dance was not meant to shame the Atlanta bench but for Kent Bazemore, former Warriors teammate and friend of Curry's, as claimed by ESPN's Ethan Strauss.
"Yes and no. The dance wasn't meant for the Hawks' bench. It was intended for Atlanta shooting guard Kent Bazemore. Does Curry despise his former teammate? Not in the slightest, as the two are close friends," Strauss stated.
Most people who accuse Curry of being arrogant are members and fans of the teams that the Warriors have crushed (almost all of the league). People close to Curry continue to swear that he is a humble and simple man off the court. On the court, it's his job to be a killer.
