Stephen Curry credits his dedication to the craft for his all-time NBA career: "That really just drove me to stick to the grind"

In the past decade or two, teammates, coaches, rivals, and the media have sung many praises for the legend of Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter the game of basketball has ever seen.

From his otherworldly displays of shooting to winning his fourth NBA ring in 2022, there is no limit to what Curry has done and continues to do.

As he enters his 17th year in the NBA, Curry is once again ready to lead the Golden State Warriors back to where they stood three years ago. He will do so by staying true to the work ethic he developed during his high school days, the very same type of dedication and effort he has put out behind the scenes to earn a spot in the GOAT conversations.

Talking to the TODAY show on NBC to promote his new book, “Shot Ready”, Curry said he faced challenges early that forced him to work harder than anybody else.

“I also had plenty of criticism and a lack of opportunity in terms of playing that really just drove me to stick to the grind,” Curry said. “My work ethic became a superpower in a sense because it was the one thing I could rely on.”

Embracing and enjoying the grind

The basketball gods have given him many gifts–handles, shooting, and IQ–but they decided against adding physical dominance to the list.

Curry himself knows this fact; he was a skinny shooter and such limitations gave him a few obstacles when he was still in high school, college and eventually during his formative years in the NBA.

“I was the last kid on my nine and 10-year-old team and I was the smallest kid on pretty much every team I played on until I got to college,” Curry recalled.

But Chef Curry ingrained in himself a mentality of falling in love with the process. Plenty of YouTube videos have captured the intensity of his workout, where he is endlessly running, then shooting, then dribbling, while still doing all with finesse and perfection.

While it’s physically exhausting for other players to watch, Curry certainly enjoys every second of his workouts.

“For me, the process is the most fun. The results, the wins and losses and all that type of stuff, keep you going, but the process and what you dive into on a daily basis and the nuances of mastering what you’re doing, there’s definitely points of feedback that make you smile: ‘I’ll be better at this than I was a week ago,'” he said.

Building his legacy

Everyone knows Curry’s star caliber. His illustrious career is decorated with four NBA titles, a Finals MVP, two MVPs (including the first unanimous one) and an Olympic gold medal, among many other recognitions and honors.

Curry is not stopping anytime soon. In fact, he is aiming to reach greater heights even though he is nearing the twilight years of his career. He said he wants to continue making the most out of his privilege.

“I think that’s just an intentional choice,” he said.

“One, reminding yourself it’s a privilege of what you’re getting to do. I had those moments and I had to learn that. Everything feels hard. ‘Oh, I got to wake up early, oh, I got homework,’ this and that…Remind yourself the privilege that you have to be able to play a sport, take a class, work on a vocation, whatever it is you’re doing,” Curry advised.

As he enters year 17, the 37-year-old Curry said he wants to build a legacy that will elevate the state of the NBA.

“You want to leave the league in a better place than when you found it,” Curry said.

There’s no doubt Steph has certainly done that.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Stephen Curry credits his dedication to the craft for his all-time NBA career: “That really just drove me to stick to the grind”

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