On the other side of the globe, Steph Curry found a unique way to inspire basketball's future generation.
Recently in New York City, Warriors legend and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin lectured a youth basketball camp on the value of work ethic by revealing a fascinating tidbit on Curry’s commitment to overturn his dreadful start at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“The first four games of the Olympics was not typical Steph Curry,” Mullin told a group of camp attendees in a video shared by The Program NYC on Instagram. “He was 5 of 20 from three, averaging about seven points per game.
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“The last two games, he made 17 threes and scored 60 points.”
Curry’s early struggles in Paris, like his 3-point performance against South Sudan, were notable.
After starting his Olympic career with four lamentable showings, Curry managed to deliver legendary back-to-back performances that ultimately would lead Team USA to a gold medal.
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But it was what Curry did between the semifinal and final games that Mullin made sure to shine a light on in his lesson to the youngsters in attendance.
“The reason I’m saying this is because I had a friend of mine who was going to their practices,” Mullin added.
“Those last two games, the shootarounds were optional, meaning you didn’t have to go if you didn’t want to go. A few people showed up, one being Steph Curry.”
During a time in which he couldn’t find his rhythm, Curry, with only a few people watching, wagered on his unmatched work ethic to return to his old ways.
It worked.
“My buddy texted me, ‘I’m at shootaround, and there are three people here. Two are shooting free throws; Steph’s down doing an hour, 15-minute full-out workout,’ " Mullin concluded.
“That was prior to the Serbia game, where he made nine threes. And then he did the same thing in between the France game.”
A real admirer of Curry’s craft, Mullin, too, is banking that the story behind the Chef's remarkable Olympics turnaround will spark a similar work ethic in the game's youth for decades to come.