OAKLAND–It’s a delicate balance, and in reality, it’s quite paradoxical.
Steph Curry is multi-talented, but also, multi-layered. That’s why when his head coach Steve Kerr called Curry both ‘arrogant’ and ‘humble’ in the same sentence on Saturday afternoon, it wasn’t much of a surprise.
On the court, Curry carries an unparalleled swagger, and quite clearly, a level of arrogance that few, if any, NBA players can rival. Curry, of course, has a skill set that few, if any can match, and his propensity to pull up from areas of the floor that don’t fit traditional shooting charts perfectly encapsulates his confidence. Off the floor, though, Curry’s persona is entirely different, as he’s passionate about pursuing social justice and eager to serve his community.
On Saturday morning, Curry penned an open letter in honor of Veterans Day pleading with Americans to support the nation’s troops in more meaningful ways. Curry said interactions with military personnel have inspired him to use his platform to call attention to the issues that they face on a daily basis, and on Saturday afternoon, Kerr told reporters that Curry is a natural advocate.
“He’s very thoughtful, he’s very compassionate, he’s smart and he’s humble,” Kerr said. “I made the comment before that’s he’s incredibly arrogant on the floor and humble off the floor and I think that’s a really powerful combination. So when people see him out on the floor shooting 35 footers and dangling the mouthpiece, they might think of him in one way. But if they spend any time getting to know him, understanding what he’s about, they’ll realize he’s a man of great humility, modesty, he’s a family man. Unbelievable father and husband. And he thinks, he thinks about what’s going on. So when he speaks, he speaks from the heart and I thought his words were really poignant.”
Kerr said the Warriors’ star is consistent in his efforts to treat others with respect, and that Curry’s actions set the tone for Golden State’s team on and off the floor. In Curry’s Players’ Tribune piece, he mentioned the importance of addressing issues like homelessness, unemployment and mental health, and Kerr said Saturday that Curry is motivated to help the people that need it most.
“It’s about helping people, it’s about doing the right thing, about treating people with respect,” Kerr said. “Understand, accepting and embracing diversity and those are things that Steph talks about all the time. He’s a real leader for all of us.”
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