Steph's down-to-earth outlook on being one-name celebrity originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
- Programming note: Steph Curry's "Dubs Talk" interview with Kerith Burke and Monte Poole debuts Wednesday on NBC Sports Bay Area following "Dubs Talk Live."
Kobe. Shaq. LeBron. Wilt. And Steph.
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The NBA's greatest players often only need one name, a status Warriors star Steph Curry has reached as he approaches the end of his 14th season. And for that, he's grateful.
"[I'm] pretty comfortable with it because it hasn't changed who I am as a person," Curry said of his one-name celeb status during an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole and Kerith Burke for the latest episode of "Dubs Talk." "I think you have to create your own peace when it comes to that. You have to create your own hype. ...
"I feel like I've been very intentional about that because I don't really need any external validation of who you are and what your accomplishments are. But to your point, you also understand that there's a huge honor and responsibility of how you can inspire, how you can create energy for people that just watch you play one game or watch one interview or have one kind of touch point with you, and then you can change the course of their confidence and their belief in themselves in how you carry yourself."
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Curry turned Steph into a household name by defying his doubters, quieting his critics and maintaining a wholesome persona both on and off the court, establishing himself as the greatest shooter of all time and winning four NBA titles in the span of eight seasons. His contributions to the Warriors' dynasty are celebrated throughout the Bay Area and across the globe as one of the most beloved figures in all of professional sports.
No pressure, right?
"I appreciate all of the blessings that have come with it," Curry continued. "There are challenges, obviously, but, you know, everybody has their own mountains that they have to climb in their own lives, and I feel like with my family, and having been around the league since I was a kid has helped me ... I'm blessed that I know that, and I try to be as responsible and accountable to what that is on a daily basis.
"It's just about me being myself through and through, not having to change because of the circumstances around me."
Through it all, Curry hasn't forgotten who he is -- even as Stephen became Steph to fans over the years. He isn't just a four-time champion, either, as Dub Nation knows. He's an NBA Finals MVP, a two-time NBA MVP, a Western Conference Finals MVP, a nine-time NBA All-Star, an All-Star Game MVP, a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, to name a few accolades, and that's without listing all of the league and Warriors records he has broken over the years.
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And when you put that all together, you get Steph -- the one-name phenom who still considers himself, well, himself.
"I don't want to speak for them, but I don't know if any one of those guys [Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, etc.] at some point were like, 'I want to be a household name and a one-name type figure in the world,' " Curry said. "You just love what you do.
"You pour everything that you have into it, and then that process kind of happens naturally over time."
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