“Impossible”: Warriors Legend Blown Away By Stephen Curry’s Behavior Towards American Media’s Tough Confrontation

“Listening to Steph talk is like watching him play.” WIRED reporter Hemal Jhaveri was certainly onto something when she made this claim about the Warriors star. Anyone who has come across Stephen Curry’s interviews over his 15-year NBA career would have noticed how he measures every word he says, staying as far away from controversy as possible. Well, that was the case during the Warriors’ Media Day, and by the end of it, Curry’s mannerisms impressed a GSW legend.

Having had his share of such pressers during his 13-year career, Adonal Foyle was astonished by how much Media Day has changed over the decades. “The rise in how media has evolved over the years is just insane to me,” he told The Athletic as they followed Curry around Chase Center on September 30. After all, in today’s media age, where so much information is readily available, journalists can ask some tough questions, a few of which Steph had to face.

On Media Day, as much as the press likes to talk about basketball and the impending NBA season, it also gives them the opportunity to throw a few off-court curveballs at players. So, it made sense that Foyle was worried when the very first questions that came Stephen Curry’s way were regarding his endorsement of US Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris and Steve Kerr using the player’s ‘Night-Night’ move in his own endorsement speech.

In a surprise video appearance at the DNC in August, Steph Curry said, “I believe that Kamala Harris as President will bring that unity back.” Having met Harris before the Olympics when she visited Team USA and having formed a friendly relationship with her, he ended his endorsement by saying, “The Oval Office would suit her well. In the words of Michelle Obama, do something. Go vote.” So, when a reporter asked him about this, Curry answered “with grace and erudition,” making use of no “ums” or “ers” in his remarks. For Foyle, it meant that Curry had certainly cracked the code.

“It’s an impossible road,” Foyle said as per The Athletic. “One mistake in this social media landscape can land you in a whole lot of trouble. I think you have to be so much more aware and so much more mindful. It just gets harder and harder. Can you imagine someone watching everything you say all the time?”

Taking quotes out of context is a phenomenon that has deeply affected the world of celebrities and even reached sports. Michael Jordan got in trouble in 2019 after he claimed that Stephen Curry is “not a Hall of Famer yet.” The full interview, however, would reveal that the Chicago Bulls legend said Curry shouldn’t be offended by not being picked because he is still a great player.

Distancing himself from saying remotely anything that could be taken out of context, the Warriors icon has avoided getting into trouble with the media throughout his career. In turn, the journalists covering him have appreciated the player for who he is. And Adonal Foyle did, too – for more than just Steph’s impressive media skills. More specifically, he admired the 36-year-old’s acting skills!

At one point on Media Day, Curry was asked to record a welcome-back message for a former Warriors player. But instead of following a script, The Chef just looked straight into the camera and spoke from the heart for a minute or so. And unsurprisingly, he didn’t need a second take. Reacting to Curry’s natural talent and comfort in front of the screen – maybe he gets it from his wife, Ayesha! – Foyle said, “Those are not easy things if you don’t have the skill set.”

Recalling his own experiences (and sharing some advice), the legend added, “I remember in college, one of the first things I did was try some theater. I realized that this is a skill you need. Now I tell every guy, ‘You want to play sports? Better do some theater if you can. It doesn’t hurt!’ But Steph, he’s great at it. And you can tell he’s acted some, but most of it is just natural instincts.”

That said, there was a time when Curry may have been influenced to take a stand against the press, which fortunately did not materialize.

Stephen Curry did not appreciate any criticism made toward his daughter

Stephen Curry’s eldest daughter, Riley, is now all grown up and is often seen in her father’s presence during important moments. Longtime Warriors fans, however, may still remember her as the 2-year-old who kept making appearances at her father’s press conferences. While many media members were in awe of the 2-year-old, some criticism also reportedly originated. Brett Friedlander famously tweeted, “Steph Curry’s kid is cute. That doesn’t mean she should have been at presser. There are professionals on deadlines there w/ jobs to do, too.” If it were up to the Warriors player, he would have taken the situation further.

In a 2015 report by Jimmy Spencer of ‘The Sporting News,’ it was revealed that “There was a little bit of a moment, in practice the next day, where someone asked him about this stuff with Riley. And he said, ‘What are they mad about? They want me to get a different daughter?’ It was one of the rare times where you see Steph with a little bit of an attitude. That was, in an odd way, the first time this postseason. And it was for spending time with his daughter, which says a lot.”

The words ‘Steph’ and ‘attitude’ have rarely been placed in the same sentence. However, Jimmy Spencer showed that in his journey of being careful, if Curry was ever going to slip up, it was simply for the sake of his daughter. With more pressers to come over the course of the regular season, it remains to be seen whether the player can continue maintaining his long-lasting streak.