The Golden State Warriors recently made a monumental trade by acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, it came at a price, as the Bay Area had to cut ties with Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round pick. Despite knowing that no player is safe from an NBA trade, Wiggins’ exit hit Steve Kerr, who stated “Wiggs is one of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. Just a beautiful soul, just a wonderful human being.” As it turns out, even Wiggins continues to hold the head coach, and Stephen Curry, in high regard even after the trade.

The Miami Heat’s 3 new acquisitions recently had their introductory press conference alongside Pat Riely. During the Q&A session, a reporter highlighted Kerr’s previous comments and asked what difference he would feel playing under Erik Spoelstra in comparison to the Warriors coach. This led the 29-year-old player to praise his former HC by stating “I mean, Steve was a…. he was amazing, you know, to me. A great coach, you know, great friend. And our relationship got, you know, stronger and stronger, you know, every year I was there. So, you know, I always appreciate, you know, and love Kerr for that.” Wiggins may not have again what he had with Steve Kerr. Despite this, he was optimistic that his tenure with Erik Spoelstra would yield some growing opportunities for him.

Steve Kerr isn’t the only one who Andrew Wiggins would miss after the trade. Even Stephen Curry’s name was brought up during the Q&A session. This caused the small forward to highlight how the Three-Point Leader emphasized hard work by standing as its prime example. From being the last one in the practice facility to the last one on the court, Curry knowingly or unknowingly influenced Wiggins.

“That just opened my eyes when I got there like, you know, Steph works this hard every day, you know,” said Wiggins. “Just seeing your leader do that is motivating. So I just try to work hard, you know, every day and, you know, be the best version of me I can be.”

Stephen Curry’s ability to motivate his teammates is no secret. Draymond Green once famously said that “Guys in the league look at [Steph] as like this mythical superhero”, and that he is open to anyone who comes up to him for advice. Therefore, it was no mystery that Steph would also serve as Andrew Wiggins’ mentor from time to time. The 29-year-old’s remarks about how the veteran influenced him only add a bit more context about the mentoring method.

Even Stephen Curry once acknowledged the dynamics of his and Kerr’s professional relationship. Amidst the small forward’s trouble with staying consistent, Stephen Curry emphasized the need to fit in with the team. After all, “It’s like that parent-child relationship – not to say he’s a child – where you only ask somebody to do what you know they’re capable of doing”.

Steve Kerr had already emphasized what losing Andrew Wiggins meant to him. However, the dynamic the small forward shared with Stephen Curry also made the latter reminisce on the former’s impact.

Stephen Curry paid tribute to Andrew Wiggins after having a private moment: “He changed a lot for us”

The Warriors squad was not immediately available for comment after Andrew Wiggins’ trade was announced. Instead, the team took a private moment in the locker room and then made themselves available for the presser. Everyone wanted to hear from Stephen Curry, as he was amongst the players who “dapped” Wiggins as he made his way away from the court.

“I’m glad the way we did it looking back, to have that moment with our team in the locker room just us talking, for Wiggs especially,” said Curry during the presser.

“The amount of time he’s been here, what he meant to our team and our franchise to help us climb the mountain top again back in ‘22.” said Curry. “He changed a lot for us for the better, and I hope his experience with us changed a lot for him as well. He’s got a lot of basketball left in him, obviously.”

What are your thoughts on Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins’ dynamic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.