Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors traveled to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on the 31st and walked away with a hard-fought 132-125 win. As always, Curry received plenty of love from the fans in the city where he grew up, and after the game, he shared how the Hornets’ biggest star, LaMelo Ball, approached him about an important issue postgame.
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Curry struggled with recurring ankle injuries early in his career. Many believed they would always hold him back. But he eventually figured out how to manage the injury effectively throughout the season. Ball wanted to ask Curry how he overcame that barrier.
Now in his sixth season, Ball has also struggled with ankle injuries in his young career. So, the Hornets guard was curious about how to keep his ankles healthier over time, much like Curry did.
“Yeah, he’s reached out,” Curry shared with the media post-game. “I know he’s seen stuff that I’ve talked about. Actually, Q, who’s not there anymore, but was a part of their training staff the past couple of years, was with us with Team USA.
“I think there’s been a little bit of conversation on it. And Seth [Curry] was texting me last year trying to give him some guidance.”
Steph’s brother, Seth Curry, played the entire 2024-25 season with the Hornets. So, it made sense for him to reach out to his brother at the time, especially after Ball was shut down in March of last season.
Steph Curry says LaMelo has reached out to him about his ankle issues pic.twitter.com/KCLe7PuqU9
— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) December 31, 2025
“At the end of the day, it’s just about getting stronger and trying to get the whole chain working. Building up that resiliency, it happens over time. But you’ve got to be very specific on what you do,” Curry expressed.
As mentioned, Curry has a long history of ankle issues. It all culminated in 2011 and 2012, when he underwent two surgeries that put the rest of his career in doubt. He was eventually able to manage the injuries with heavy-duty ankle braces and has since become the greatest shooter in NBA history.
So far in Ball’s career, he has dealt with chronic ankle injuries and has even sat out time this season to manage them. Over the last four seasons, he has averaged just 31 games played. To make matters worse, his scoring averages have dipped drastically this year.
The question is whether Ball can turn it around as Curry did. Only time will tell. But if he continues to seek advice from the future Hall of Famer on the topic, he may just learn the secret to having a longer career.
