Is Steph Curry the greatest showman in the history of Bay Area sports?
Or, as the kids might say: Does Steph Curry have the most aura of any athlete in the history of Bay Area sports?
As I tiptoe past the desk of Willie Mays, sneak by the cubicle of Joe Montana and try not to be noticed by Barry Bonds at the company water cooler, I think the answer is yes.
Thursday night in Orlando, Steph Curry scored 56 points and made 12 three-pointers and while this has happened before, there is something about the KIA Arena Ka-boom that caused us to ramp up the historical stakes.
For one, Steph Curry just keeps doing it. He’ll be 37 on March 14 and he just … keeps … doing … it. So we are approaching that part of his career where we are saying: Wait. This guy burst into the NBA consciousness when he scored 54 points on Feb. 27, 2013 at Madison Square Garden, has since won two MVPs and four NBA titles and, a dozen years later to the day, scored 56 in a critical road win?
He just … keeps … doing … it.
There comes a time in a career when you begin to mark new ground, like the doorjamb in your childhood home that mapped your ever-increasing height. The pencil mark from last night marked another leap.
A month ago, Curry did post-game interviews exhausted and drained, a towel draped over his head in what almost appeared a sign of surrender. But Curry never surrenders. He just keeps trying to get open. His ongoing efforts produced fatigue, and too many losses as the Warriors went 13-23 and offered Curry no help in personnel.
Curry, though, kept running off screens, literally and metaphorically.
And then came Jimmy Butler, who lit candles, literally and metaphorically.
In the last eight games, Curry’s exhaustive efforts finally yielded goodness. Butler, who has an aura of his own, liberated Curry and justified Curry’s never-ending efforts. In the eight games with Butler, Curry is shooting 51 percent from the field, 42.7 percent from the three-point line and is averaging 30.6 points per game.
Hallelujah, Steph is saved.
And in being saved, he is allowed to resume his climb in our sports-loving hearts. As a listener texted in today, Buster Posey took over the Giants saying he wants the team to be in the “memory-making business.” Steph Curry has spent the last 15 years making memories for Warriors fans, and that he did so even Thursday night in Orlando shows how consistently brilliant he remains.
How would he pass Mays, who many consider the most thrilling and graceful baseball player of all time? It may be unfair to Mays, but Curry’s ability to nab four championships and spend his entire career in the Bay — Mays burst into America’s consciousness as a New York Giant — gives him the edge.
How would Curry pass Bonds, who may be quite simply the greatest hitter who ever lived? Let’s be honest. Curry’s graciousness, generosity of spirit, approachability, patience with the media and spiritual connection with fans gives him the edge in terms of Bay Area adulation.
How is Curry able to pass Montana, the golden QB god who gave San Francisco its very first pro sports championship, in the fashion of epic poetry with “The Catch”, and then did it a total of four times?
Oof. That’s the toughest one.
For many, including yours truly, Montana is holy ground. There is nothing anyone can say or do to replace or smudge the 1980s run of Joe Montana as quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Montana evoked not just athletic brilliance and grace, not just uncanny poise and flair for the dramatic, not just championship genius over and over; he also validated a region, a franchise, and generations of fans.
Passing Joe Montana in terms of Bay Area aura is the toughest ask of all.
Steph Curry might have done it.