Warriors' Steph Curry Reflects on His Impact on Basketball: A Mind the Game Podcast
'When Trae Young entered the league, I truly understood the scale of my impact.'
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 27: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talk to each other after the Lakers beat the Warriors in double overtime at Chase Center on January 27, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images
Stephen Curry, the NBA shooting icon, has inspired a generation of shooters. But it wasn't until he saw Trae Young enter the league that he truly understood the scale of his impact. In a recent episode of Mind the Game, Curry joined LeBron James and co-host Steve Nash for a deep-dive conversation about influence, evolution, and the art of shooting. The discussion spanned from his early Warriors days to the present, revealing how Curry's impact has transcended a whole generation of players.
'When Trae Young came into the league, that was the first time I really thought about how far my impact had gone.'
Curry laughed before crediting his peers and even his critics for helping him recognize that shift. He pointed to his former coach, Mark Jackson, who once joked on an ESPN broadcast that Curry had 'ruined the game' because so many young players were copying his deep shooting style — without his precision. James added, 'What Mark didn’t realize is he ruined the league, too. Everyone shoots 3s now. Everyone. Sixty a game, fifty a game. It’s all Steph. It’s all Steph.'
'You jumped 200 threes from one season to the next.'
Nash, who won back-to-back MVP awards during his own playing career, marveled at Curry's willingness to push the boundaries of shot volume. Curry credited then-general manager Bob Myers for giving him the confidence to test those limits. 'Bob was the first one to tell me, 'You should shoot 15 threes a game,' Curry said. 'I was like, 'What? You know how hard it is to get 12 good looks up?' But he said, 'The math says 15 is great for you.' The game’s changed like crazy since then.'
'I’m guarding Steph. They put up like 50 in the first quarter — maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. He’s running everywhere. My back is broke. Everything’s jacked.'
At one point, the conversation took a personal turn when Nash shared the night he realized his own playing days were over — and it involved a young Curry lighting up the scoreboard. Nash said, 'I’m guarding Steph. They put up like 50 in the first quarter — maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. He’s running everywhere. My back is broke. Everything’s jacked. I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100 percent.'
The Warriors' bottom line for Curry is that the podcast wasn’t about legacy so much as reflection. The Warriors star spoke with humility about how the game evolved around him, even as he continues to define it. The episode closed with the trio pulling up film from the 2016 NBA Finals, breaking down iconic moments from both sides. A second part, focusing on James’ perspective, is expected soon.
'This is the happiest I’ve ever been watching this game.'
After all these years, Curry isn’t just watching history — he’s the reason it looks the way it does.
