Golden State Warriors

Miller: Curry shows you don't have to be an a-hole to succeed

Published Dec. 10, 2015 2:19 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Jason Rowan

Reggie Miller pointed out during a recent interview that Stephen Curry is proof that one doesn’t have to be a jerk to enjoy success in the NBA … even if it helped him and one of his iconic colleagues from an earlier era.

The Golden State Warriors obviously are the talk and the toast of the league at the moment — starting off a season 23-0 will do that — but as many beyond Miller have noted, the joy the players seem to take in playing it makes them an easy team to support.

Curry obviously leads the way with his style of play, and the NBA Hall of Famer-turned-TNT analyst told told The New Yorker‘s Charles Bethea that the happiness the Warriors sharpshooter exudes on the court serves as a valuable lesson to kids.

“What made Jordan so great,” Miller told me, “was that he could get the ball way up in the air and finish it. But you don’t have to dunk to be like Steph. Every kid looks at Steph and thinks: I can shoot and dribble. I can do that. You don’t have to be like Mike anymore. You know, Mike was an a**hole. I was an a**hole, too. But you don’t have to be an a**hole to be successful. Steph is living proof.”

Miller has received a bit of grief related to the article regarding a quote that prompted him make a bold proclamation.

“All truly great shooters—Dale Ellis, Larry Bird, Craig Hodges, Chris Mullin—we always believed that we were the best shooters in the world,” Miller said. “So, yeah, I’d take down Steph at my peak.”

Miller not surprisingly was ripped for the quote, but took to social media to clarify things, indicating he’s done nothing but marvel at Curry’s talent.

In any event, there’s no denying that Curry plays the game with boundless joy … along with a coldblooded killer’s mentality, not to mention a sprinkling of attitude (see here and here). But what makes it so? Maybe it’s his hunger, his drive, his competitiveness.

Or maybe it’s just his toilet.

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