Few would probably deny the notion that Stephen Curry is one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game of basketball. The now-36-year-old Golden State Warrior is an absolute force on the court and particularly deadly from the three-point line. While he may no longer be in his prime, he can still give a team some serious work, and one person who has witnessed those theatrics is Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajaković. After his team’s latest match with the GSW, Rajaković shared brutally honest thoughts on facing him.
The Raptors and the Warriors squared off on Monday, January 13, with the former team coming out on top with the win. Following his squad’s 104-101 victory over the California-based team, Darko Rajaković still pointed out the issues that “Chef Curry” can cause for a team on the court. Rajaković (via Sports Illustrated) got honest about having to have a game plan for Curry before praising him. However, the coach also revealed how he’ll react when the athlete finally decides to hang up his sneakers:
I’m doing my best. It is a privilege for all of us to live in and era and work in this era in the NBA when [Curry] is playing. I just told my coaching staff, ‘I’ve been playing against him for a long, long time. I can’t wait for him to retire. I’m going to get drunk that night, I promise you that.’ You know, I’m going to celebrate.
Tell us how you really feel, coach. Seriously, it’s not often that you hear such an honest answer from a coach. It may be fair to assume that he’s partially joking when he speaks, but those sentiments are also a credit to the way in which the four-time NBA champion has made his mark on professional basketball. And what also needs to be mentioned is the fact that although the Warriors lost that game, Stephen Curry still finished with 26 points as well as seven rebounds and seven assists. (Now, that’s putting in work.)
Stephen Curry’s body of work is legendary at this point, and it’s amazing to see all that he’s accomplished since being drafted in 2009 after playing college basketball at Davidson. In addition to his championship titles and his Finals MVP honor from 2022, Curry is also a 10-time NBA All-Star and a two-time MVP winner. He was also named to the league’s 75th anniversary team in 2021. Because of his efforts and those of his teammates, Golden State forged a dynasty – one that Curry would argue rivals the run of the ‘90s Chicago Bulls.
There’s long been discussion about the NBA GOATS and how they might be remembered and compared to each other moving forward. Obviously, we’ll never know how the star of the lauded Mr. Throwback series would’ve fared against the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler or Michael Jordan, who also has complex feelings about the GOATS of the sport. Nevertheless, each has contributed plenty to the game, and the players I just mentioned – along with many others – were feared in their time, rightfully so.
Having grown up watching Stephen Curry play basketball, it’s going to be somewhat surreal for me when he finally decides to retire, and that could come within the next few years. The same is true for the likes of Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and LeBron James, the league’s all-time scoring leader. Curry has nothing left to prove, but I’m eager to see what else he does before his playing time is over. Until then, Darko Rajaković will have to hold off on popping those bottles.
You can get a better sense of the Golden State Warrior’s journey and mindset by checking out the documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated. An active Apple TV+ subscription will allow you access to the film. Curry’s original show, Mr. Throwback, is also streamable with a Peacock subscription.
