When Stephen Curry suffered a knee injury back in March 2018, he shrugged it off by jokingly stating “Well, at least it’s not my ankle.” This went on to show that no matter what, nothing was gonna surpass the injury woes the player suffered during the early stages of his NBA career. A report by ‘GiveMeSport’ even highlighted the player as being one of the league’s most ‘injury-prone’ individuals during his third season, having developed seven ankle sprains, all within a sixteen-month period. Forcing him to miss 56 games during the 2011-12 season, even the veterans were worried about how Curry would continue. However, his work ethic pulled him through, impressing at least one of his then-teammates.

In a recent interview on the ‘Run Your Race’ podcast, former NBA player Dorell Wright discussed what it was like being Curry’s teammate for two years. While Wright had already spent more than half a decade in the league by that point, the future four-time Warriors champion was still in the early stages of his career. In spite of this, the way he got his name on the top 10 players with the most on-court minutes and even then kept working out in the gym on game day, Curry kept toe-to-toe with the rest of the veterans. This certainly left a good impression on Wright. There was no better indication of Curry’s commitment than when his injuries cast doubts on his future within the league.

“I felt like just at that moment he kept having injuries with his ankle. So, you really couldn’t gauge like, ‘Okay, is he gonna be healthy enough to be successful?’ But he put the work in, uh, he was a student at the game, uh he listened to the older guys, and you know how I see him doing the things he does, I’m not surprised,” said Wright during the interview. “Cuz, he put the work in, he put the time in, and he was willing to do whatever, you know, to be who he is today. So, I’m super proud of him, man.”

According to reports, Curry did face issues with his ankle during the early 2010s. Even as a surgeon rebuilt two ligaments on his right ankle “that had stretched apart like a rotting sweater,” it wasn’t enough to stop him from developing sprains five times over a 26-game period. Not looking to back down, however, Curry brought change to his playing style in specific areas. He developed his core strength and learned how hips could be used more prominently to give his ankles the needed rest. Warriors executive Bob Myers himself praised the work ethic that went behind making the changes, stating “It made Steph what he is now.”

The three-point leader himself may have not reached this level if he hadn’t learned the lesson of working hard quite early on. Being the son of Dell Curry, who himself was a part of the league for 16 years, there were big expectations of Steph while growing up. During a segment of her Raising Fame podcast, Steph’s mother, Sonya, revealed how the future NBA star would work for hours on his shooting skills to get it to a commendable level. It wasn’t always easy, as she revealed “He got frustrated to the point where he would get upset, teary-eyed, and then come in the house. Dell and I would go, ‘No, we can go back outside and work through that frustration.’”

Today, Curry stands out as one of the best three-point shooter of the modern NBA, and the record of his accumulated shots may not be surpassed for years to come. Even as the Warriors were going through some troubling times upon his arrival to the league, he received the right amount of motivation from the right type of people.

Amid the Warriors’ troubling times, LeBron James stood beside Stephen Curry

When he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2009, the franchise was experiencing troubling times. They had just come off a season with a 29-53 record, the bond between star players like Robert Rowell, Don Nelson, and Chris Mullin was falling apart amid GM accusations, and players like Al Harrington were demanding trades after being dissatisfied with then coach Don Nelson. Curry recalled all of this during an episode of the ‘Heat Check’ podcast, highlighting his priorities during the troubling times. “I knew that there was an opportunity, but I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself to know. Like, I just had to figure out this game first and then figure out where I fit in, where I could have value, and what type of player I was going to be. And, I got a lot of advice from yourself (Dell Curry), some from LeBron,” said Steph.

The future NBA All-Time Scorer was already aware of Curry, having seen a few of his college games. Apart from the professional advice he received, LeBron James also ensured that the rookie did not feel that alone during the early parts of his journey. Curry would later recall how, prior to one of his first games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Ohio, LeBron called him up to ask “You want to come to the house?” This allowed him to spend some quality time with LeBron and his young sons, Bronny and Bryce, by playing in the bowling alley and talking through the night.

Having LeBron as a mentor during the initial years may have played a big role in helping Curry get back the work ethic mindset from his earlier days. As a result, he stands on an equal footing with the 39-year-old, with any modern Warriors vs Lakers matchup being an interesting one to watch.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.