When the Golden State Warriors decided to acquire Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016, Stephen Curry had already established himself as a formidable force in the league. With two MVP titles, three All-NBA selections, having led the league in scoring once, and the Dubs to two consecutive NBA Finals (until that point), one might assume Steph would be brimming with confidence regardless of new additions to the team. However, contrary to expectations, the 6’2” point guard experienced a degree of ‘insecurity’ upon learning of KD’s impending arrival.
Steph on feeling insecure
The Warriors began their 2016-27 campaign with an emphatic 14-2 record in the first month, and by the time they approached their Christmas Day Game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they stood at 27-4. Speaking on the Knuckleheads Podcast, Steph revealed that despite the team’s outward success, internal dynamics were not as harmonious as they appeared.
"Game 1 through like Christmas Day game, it was not pretty, " Curry said . " We were all type of inconsistent. Our record was solid, but it just didn’t look like it was supposed to look."
Though coach Steve Kerr’s team was already stacked with talent, with Klay, Draymond, and Iguodala among more stars, the addition of KD elevated their collected skills to an unprecedented level. However, for Steph, who was the team’s leading scorer and the primary ball handler, so it this move required making significant changes. Most importantly, the thought of how to balance their respective shot attempts worried him the most.
"I might have just internalized this as the point guard and (being) the guy that felt like I had to get everybody involved, there's a little insecurity, 'There's so much talent. Is this going to work?'" Chef added. "I'm starting to count shots like, 'Alright, he gonna get 20. He gonna get (19)... How we gonna do this?'"
The greatest three-point shooter of all time understood that the pressure was always high on the Warriors to secure a title ever since Durant joined the team, and anything less than that would be considered a failure. Even when ‘The Slim Reaper’ was sidelined due to a sprained MCL and a tibial bone bruise, causing him to miss 19 regular-season games, the Warriors’ players knew the team had worked hard enough to cover for Durant’s absence.
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Curry and Durant co-existed perfectly
As Durant returned in the last three games of the regular season, his partnership with Steph flourished throughout the playoffs. While the 14-time All-Star averaged 28.5 points, Curry recorded a scoring average of 28.1 points per game throughout the playoffs. As a result of their solid showing, the Dubs lost just one game in four series en route to lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Be it LeBron James winning a championship with three different teams or Curry learning to play second fiddle to Durant and even leading the team single-handedly to the title in 2022, generational stars know how to shine in different situations.
Related: Rasheed Wallace thinks Kevin Durant should retire: "Retirement for sure pops in his head"
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