I always ask the question of whether it is time for Stephen Curry to create his own identity as a winner without Klay Thompson. I dare not say “away from his (Klay’s) shadow” because the success of their partnership that resulted in three Golden State championships (2015, 2017, and 2018) was achieved with both players playing as equals. Shoulder to shoulder. No one cast a shadow over the other.
I revisit this question once again as I watch Steph torch Portland with a new career-high in points made in a single game. 62 at 32. That is no small feat, considering Portland’s defense and the gas in the tank of a 32-year-old veteran who is by now feeling the effects of having to deal with his injury-prone ankles and hand injured not so long ago. He is by far the oldest NBA player to have a 62-point game. Carmelo Anthony did it in 2014. He was 30 years old. Kobe Bryant was 27 when he had 62 in 2005. Tracy McGrady was 25 when he reached the 62-point plateau in 2004. Wilt Chamberlain was 26 the first time he did it (the legend that he is, Wilt had six 62-point games).
When the cornrows came off, so did the rust. Steph didn’t just look like his old self, he played like his old self. There was a spring to his step and a rhythm in his offense that tells you he is back in the hunt, and by the way he is slashing, throwing teardrops, and bombing Portland from outside, you can tell he is armed to the teeth – knife, rifle, and shotgun. He brought his entire arsenal and Portland was shot, skinned, and quartered.
For the fans, it was, without a doubt, fun to watch. For his teammates, I bet it would have been an inspiring show of grit and fighting spirit. To the rest of the league, it is a scary flex of offensive prowess not just from Steph but from the rest of the team who fed off of Steph’s energy and leadership. This is Steph rising to the occasion. Klay is out for the season. For Steph, there are just two choices: fight hard, or fight harder. He seems bent on taking the higher and tougher road.
Since tip-off, there is no indication that Steph is inclined to take it easy even with the other half of the Splash Brothers sidelined for the rest of the season. Following the December massacres, no one could have held it against Steph if he allowed his injury-riddled body seek refuge and let others decide the fate of Golden State this season, to rest and wait until Klay is back in the harness and the Warriors can mount a real run for the title in full strength.
But that is not Steph. He chose the burden of expectation over the convenience of mediocrity, even when the latter would have been a reasonable choice. At the close of the game day, Golden State is 3-3 and 8th in the West, ahead of other favorites like Denver and Dallas.
Sure, it is too early in the season to say for sure if Golden State is a lock for a playoff spot. Nonetheless, this is a good sign for Golden State and the fans. There is hopeful optimism in watching Steph grind it out and do battle. It is good to see the fight in Steph despite being a three-time champion already. It is easy to sit back and relax, but that lethargy is also how stars quickly lose their luster, and Steph knows that. It is good to see Steph helping the new pieces fit in. It is admirable that Steph took the challenge of making the Warriors championship-caliber once again, humbly, quietly, and passionately, while everyone was busy talking about the championship prospects of other NBA superstars they seem to have forgotten that Steph is still one of the best in the business.
He was great alongside Klay Thompson. Now he is showing us he can be just as spectacular removed from his role as gunslinger of the Bay Area tandem shooters. He is now a pack leader, and he is behaving that way as a matter of choice over circumstance.
All these thoughts, questions, and musings, and I am not even a Stephen Curry fan.