Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has become arguably one of the 10 greatest players in NBA history and undoubtedly the greatest outside shooter.
He has won four world championships, two regular-season MVPs, an NBA Finals MVP award and two scoring titles. Even at age 35, he’s showing absolutely no signs of slowing.
There was a time people thought Curry was soft and lacked a killer instinct, but what he did in the 2022 championship series silenced those critics.
Apparently, late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant recognized his killer instinct a while back. Curry talked about Bryant complimenting him for having that quality and looking past his easy-going demeanor to find it.
“One of the best compliments I ever got, when [Kobe] recognized the killer instinct behind the smile. You know Mamba Mentality… He acknowledged that same spirit but knew that I did it with a smile on my face.”
Steph Curry on Kobe Bryant 💯
(via @BigBoy)pic.twitter.com/puwHT5JYnz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 24, 2023
In his later years, Bryant became known as a mentor to some of today’s NBA players, and they have readily credited him for helping them succeed and develop the right mindset for success.
Curry’s killer instinct and incredible skills, however, didn’t prevent him from having a bad series against the Lakers in this past season’s playoffs. His Warriors ended their title defense by losing in six games.