Matt Barnes won the 2017 NBA championship alongside the likes of Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry. Steph, a generational talent, is widely regarded as the best shooter of all time. According to ‘The Volume‘, Barnes spoke about the moment he first realized Stephen Curry was special during an appearance on the Draymond Green show.
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Talking about the change of perspective, going from an opponent to Steph’s teammate, Barnes explained how his shot-taking abilities made sense when he saw Curry training. Apart from an obvious talent, Steph also puts in an incredible amount of work into his game, often said to be the biggest reason behind his greatness.
Matt Barnes explains the moment he realized Stephen Curry was special
Having played alongside Stephen Curry throughout his NBA career, Green knows a thing or two about how great Curry can be, especially during training. During his appearance on his podcast, Green asked Barnes when was the exact moment he understood that Curry was a special player.
Barnes talked about how his LA Clippers team had a bit of a rivalry with the Warriors. While it was clear to him that Steph was special, things made much more sense when he actually joined the Warriors:
“First it was as an opponent and then once I became a teammate I was like this mother****er works his ass off. Any shot that Steph makes on the court is not luck. I can never say Steph[en] Curry made a lucky shot. He works on the odd angles, the awkward hand, the off-the-glass, the half-court shots he shoots like they’re f**king layups while we’re warming up. So, to answer your question, originally as an opponent, but it all made sense when I saw him day-to-day and it all made sense. “
After praising Steph, Barnes went on to talk about how the likes of Klay Thomspon and Curry benefited from his and Andre Iguodala’s understanding of their games. Barnes said that it was only possible for Curry and Thompson to go off because Green was always looking for ways to help them score on the court.
Matt Barnes was given his Championship ring during ESPN’s The Jump
Matt Barnes had deliberately chosen to not take his championship ring home when he won alongside the Warriors. However, on ESPN’s The Jump, the franchise delivered a surprise to the former star.
Barnes had not played a big role in the Warriors’ championship run. Playing limited minutes, he decided that he didn’t deserve the ring.
However, the franchise disagreed with him and had the ring delivered during an episode of ESPN’s The Jump. Needless to say, despite a limited role, Barnes was still respected and appreciated for his efforts.
