Best in the World
On a ESPN True Hoop podcast recorded in mid-January, Utah Jazz radio play-by-play man David Locke was discussing with host Kevin Arnovitz the various challenges facing the Warriors in adjusting to the shadow of Durant.
Here is what Locke stated as it pertains to Curry, both in general and playing alongside Durant:
"No superstar in the history of the game, or any sport, or any business, who’s not a little bacon short of a BLT. And whose not got a little bit of a screw loose, that’s driving them, to this level of greatness, And people, always me, when I’m living with an NBA team for the season and I’m always like – they’re great, they’re gracious, they’re polite. Until for ONE MINUTE they believe you’re preventing them from being great. And the first second that they think there’s anything out there preventing them from being great they are IMPOSSIBLE to deal with. So Steph’s copacetic as long as he can be the best player in the world. But the minute whats going on in his mind is preventing him being the best player on the world then he is going to have a huge problem with it – BECAUSE he’s a superstar and there’s no superstar in the history of the game that’s ever been anything else."
Perhaps the most significant line from Locke was that Curry would be copacetic “as long as he can be the best player in the world.”
Having just completed his best and possibly most enjoyable stretch of the season sans Durant, this is going to be strongly put to the test with the playoffs awaiting.