Stephen Curry’s dominance on the basketball court has earned him accolades, admiration, and frustration from opponents, including former NBA player Austin Rivers. Rivers admits that Curry’s on-court antics once made him want to “slap the sh*t out of him.”
In a conversation on the Ringer NBA podcast, Rivers reflected on years of going head-to-head with Curry, recalling iconic moments that still sting.
“I was on the Clippers when he did the thing, where he dribbled through the whole team and turned around, shot the three,” Rivers shared.
“I was at the game where he did the behind the back, and Chris [Paul] fell.”
While Rivers found those experiences frustrating as a player, he has since developed an appreciation for Curry’s magic.
“I don’t like when he’s doing his little dancing sht,” he said, laughing.
“I wanted to slap the sht out of him when he was doing that sh*t. Now that I’m watching it [as a fan], I love it.”
Rivers’ frustration wasn’t just about Curry’s moves but also the way he changed the game. His uncanny ability to hit shots from impossible distances has redefined modern basketball.
Rivers’ father, legendary coach Doc Rivers, acknowledged Curry’s transformative impact during an appearance on KG Certified.
“Steph is as much of a game changer as anybody in our lifetime,” Doc said.
“You go to an AAU game now, people are shooting from half-court-that’s from one dude.”
Celtics icon Paul Pierce echoed this sentiment, explaining why Curry resonates so deeply with young players.
“Kids look and say, ‘I can be Steph,'” Pierce noted. “6-2, 6-3, can shoot really well and move without the ball. That’s relatable.”
FROM RIVALRY TO FAMILY
Austin Rivers’ complicated relationship with Curry extends off the court, too. The two are now in-laws-Rivers’ sister, Callie, married Curry’s brother, Seth, in 2019.
Despite their intense history on the court, Rivers is glad things never escalated into actual altercations, joking that it would have made family dinners awkward.
Watching Curry’s recent 37-point performance against the Mavericks, Rivers could empathize with Klay Thompson, who faced Curry as an opponent for the first time. “Now he knows how the rest of us feel,” Rivers quipped.
As the Warriors continue their strong start to the season, Curry’s brilliance keeps inspiring future generations-and reminding former opponents like Rivers why they once dreaded seeing him across the court.
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WARRIORS-CELTICS RIVALRY HEATS UP: Curry Takes Aim at Tatum
Stephen Curry had some fun at Jayson Tatum’s expense during an appearance on Dude Perfect. A clip from the episode released on Saturday has gone viral on social media, which shows Curry mocking Tatum’s infamous “We Did It” celebration after the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA championship.
Tatum’s celebrations were a hot topic of conversation after the Celtics’ triumph. He seemed to be trying to mimic some of the iconic ones, with this celebration reminding many of Kevin Garnett’s in 2008. Later during that interview, he also sent a message to his and the Celtics’ doubters.
If you got a sense of deja vu upon hearing that, it’s because Curry said those exact same words after winning the 2022 NBA title with the Golden State Warriors.
I suppose Curry was returning the favor by mimicking Tatum during that episode. This is actually the second time an NBA player has done this, as Dereck Lively II also roasted Tatum for his title celebrations. It was all in good fun, though, and I doubt the Celtics star would take much offense to any of it.
Tatum’s sole focus at this point is helping the Celtics defend their crown and they have gotten off to a great start in this 2024-25 campaign. A 126-123 win over the Raptors saw them improve to 11-3 on the season and they’re looking like one of the best teams in the NBA once again.
Tatum has been one of the best players in the league this season too, averaging 29.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. The 26-year-old is an early MVP candidate and I think there’s a good chance he finishes in the top three in voting in 2025.
While the Celtics’ strong start is hardly a surprise, the Warriors’ sure is. They’re 10-2 on the season, with Curry averaging 22.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.
The Warriors even handed the Celtics one of those three losses, beating them 118-112 on Nov. 6. They’ve been ever so impressive, but I am still a bit hesitant to call them a serious title contender. I will change my tune if they pull off a big trade, though. For now, the Warriors’ attention won’t be on trades, but on their next game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome on Monday at 10:30 PM ET.
Tatum has seen the memes about his title celebrations and he doesn’t have a problem with them. During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Tatum stated the internet is undefeated when asked about all the memes.
“Yeah, I’ve seen them. The internet is a great place. As they say, the internet is undefeated. I’ve had a good time laughing and seeing all the memes and things like that.”
It is much easier to laugh about people making jokes about you after winning the championship. Tatum is now hoping to lead the Celtics to back-to-back titles, a feat last accomplished by Curry’s Warriors. They did it in 2017 and 2018 and I give the Celtics a good chance of winning it all in 2025.
