Steph Curry finds himself in a familiar place, even though it's a feeling he hasn't felt in years. He's being doubted again, and he's ready for everyone to think he and the Warriors are done.
"I think the thing that's kind of revealing that you find out is he's really relishing this new role that the team has as an underdog," Gotham Chopra, co-creator of "Stephen vs. The Game," said Monday in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. "It's something that Steph is very comfortable with. He said it was really strange for him to be in that Goliath role the past five years where everyone looked at them as sort of the super power.
"He's more comfortable in that underdog role."
The naysayers have come out of the woodwork with the Warriors looking far more vulnerable than they have in years. Kevin Durant is gone, as is Andre Iguodala. Klay Thompson will miss multiple months after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. This is a new era of Warriors basketball and Curry is excited for it to start, as seen with him working out with new teammate D'Angelo Russell on Monday.
"I think the fact that now people are saying the dynasty is over and they're sort of casting aside the Warriors as too injured, too fragile, too whatever ... it's something that he's really relishing and you get that sense. He doesn't sit there and worry about the losses for very long.
"He's a competitor and I think he's looking forward to next season."
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The final episode of the docu-series comes out Monday night at 5 p.m. PT on Facebook Watch. Chopra says it will show just how banged up Curry's body was at the end of the season, too.
"Physically, you see in the final part of our series, he had his own nicks and bruises along the way," Chopra said. "Obviously in terms of the playoffs with injuries to KD, Klay, Andre -- it was just some really tough injuries that they dealt with. I think they took a lot of pride in how far they able to push it and keep on going. They certainly weren't an easy out."
Chopra says working with Curry over the past year was incredible. The documentarian praised the two-time MVP's ability to block negativity and stay focused on the task at hand.
"I think if anything surprised me, it's just that he's the real deal," Chopra said. "He has that great reputation, but really to have that balance and not get distracted by all the noise out there is pretty remarkable."
One of the most unique aspects that Chopra was able to see was the behind the scenes of Steph playing his brother Seth in the Western Conference Finals. Parents Dell and Sonya believed they were in for a real treat as their sons played each other on the biggest stage. But it wasn't all that easy.
And not every second was easy for Steph, too.
"I know Steph -- he's just so proud of his younger brother. I think that was sort of this tension for him. Of course as a competitor he wanted to win, but he also wanted his brother to do really well because it was the farthest he had gotten. He was really happy for him."
Chopra met the real Steph Curry. He saw him interact with his family and children. He saw him deal with injuries and losses. Through it all, there's one word that describes the Warriors' star.
[RELATED: Gotham Chopra details Steph Curry's spirit, commitment]
"Joyful," Chopra said without hesitation. "He plays the game with a lot of joy and he's a good person and I think he's very much the same guy on the court that he is off the court. He's humble and he's grateful.
"He's a competitor for sure, but he recognizes what he has and he wants to share that with the world."
