$160 Million Stephen Curry claims Former Coach ‘saved his career’ amidst Trade uncertainties

Warriors legend Stephen Curry joined Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner on Point Forward, discussed Championships and Coaches

When Stephen Curry was drafted by the Warriors in 2009, no one could’ve imagined how his career would turn out to be. Selected as the 7th pick, Steph started displaying his brilliance right from the rookie season. Ending up second in the ROTY race, there was a lot of potential observed by the team. However, things didn’t stay the same.

In 2011, Stephen Curry underwent surgery on his right ankle. Steph just played 26 games in the 2011-12 season, missing 40 games due to an injury on the same ankle. He underwent another surgery on his right ankle in April 2012.

However, Steph was due for an extension in the summer of 2012. The same was under a lot of doubt, due to his recent injuries. Steph did end up signing a 4-year, $44 Million contract, and the rest, as they say, is history. 4 Championships, 2 MVPs, and a Finals MVP later, Steph looked back at the summer of 2012 while talking to Andre Igoudala and Evan Turner.

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Stephen Curry discusses Mark Jackson and his importance

While Steph was preparing for the upcoming 2012-13 season, there was a lot of uncertainty about his future with the Warriors. They had another Guard in Monta Ellis, favoring him over Curry. Talking about the time, Steph reflects on how Mark Jackson was a big help. Steph said,

“He knew there was a lot of uncertainty around my health, around where the team was trying to go, where the front office was trying to go, and all that. During training camp, all those negotiation conversations, like we would be in middle of practice and he pulled me aside and talked to me about, ‘I heard they’re offering you this. You shouldn’t settle for anything less than this, believe in yourself.’ He gave me space in the middle of training camp, knowing how heavy all of this was on me.”

Steph praised Mark Jackson for being a player-favor coach. He narrated an incident where Jackson let him take a 10 min break from practice because his agent was on the line.

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Having a coach who believes in his players and wants the best for them is the best. Despite his comments in the future, Steph holds no grudge against Jackson and instead is highly grateful to him.