Curry: Retired stars bashing Warriors 'annoying'
Stephen Curry has had enough of former NBA stars taking their shots at the Golden State Warriors as the team continues to close in on the NBA’s single-season record for wins.
Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson told ESPN’s Mike & Mike on Thursday that Curry’s success is largely due to today’s style of play, which isn’t as physical as back in the day. Another Hall of Famer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, concurs.
On top of that, retired stars Stephen Jackson (2006-07 Warriors) and Cedric Ceballos (1993-94 Suns) have both said their former teams could have beaten this Warriors team, which holds the best record in NBA history through 57 games (52-5) and remains one game ahead of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls‘ pace in their record 72-10 season.
“It’s starting to get a little annoying just because it’s kind of unwarranted from across the board,” Curry told the Warriors Plus Minus podcast by the Bay Area News Group on Friday. “We have a very competent group, and we have fun when we’re out there on the floor, and it shows, obviously.
“We enjoy what we do. But for the most part, you don’t hear us talking about, you know, comparing ourselves to other great teams and ‘We could beat this team, we’re better than this team.’ We’re living in the moment.”
Robertson got the ball rolling during his appearance on Mike & Mike by criticizing today’s coaches and players for not being physical enough.
“I just don’t think coaches today in basketball understand the game of basketball,” Robertson said. “They don’t know anything about defenses. They don’t know what people are doing on the court. [Curry] has shot well because of what’s going on in basketball today.
“… When I played years ago, if you shot a shot outside and hit it, the next time I’m going to be up on top of you. I’m going to pressure you with three-quarters, half-court defense. But now they don’t do that. These coaches do not understand the game of basketball, as far as I’m concerned.”
“It’s starting to get a little annoying just because it’s kind of unwarranted from across the board. … For the most part, you don’t hear us talking about, you know, comparing ourselves to other great teams and ‘We could beat this team, we’re better than this team.’ We’re living in the moment.”
Warriors guard Stephen Curry
Curry has made 276 3-pointers this season — on 599 attempts (46.1 percent) — and is 10 shy of the record he set last season. And he’s made a 3 in 128 straight games — also an NBA record — heading into Saturday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN3).
“Steph Curry, unbelievable shooter, but [Kevin Johnson] was a point guard’s nightmare because he was so strong and he loved going to the basket,” Ceballos told Fox Sports Radio of his reasons why his Suns team — which included Charles Barkley, Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge and Tom Chambers — could beat these Warriors in a playoff series.
“That’s one thing these teams don’t do: they do not expose Steph and the way he plays defense. I don’t think we would have a problem with this Golden State team.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has also had enough of the talk comparing yesteryear to today.
“Because athletes, you know, 50 years ago, were much bigger, stronger and faster, more finely tuned,” he told reporters Thursday. “So Steph might not have made it in the league.”
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