NBA greats celebrate Steph’s legacy, impact at All-Star Weekend

NBA greats celebrate Steph’s legacy, impact at All-Star Weekend originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA’s biggest stars arrived at 7000 S Coliseum Way in Oakland on Saturday morning for 2025 NBA All-Star Media Day and practice.

An NBA game hadn’t been played in the building for six years, but you could hardly tell. The aura, the energy, and most importantly, the history inside the former Oracle Arena, now known as Oakland Arena, radiated throughout the building. That’s all because of one guy.

Steph Curry not only changed the trajectory of the Warriors organization when he came into the league in 2009, but after 16 seasons and counting, he singlehandedly has changed the way the game is played today. That was a collective statement shared by his peers around the league.

“We came in the same year, he’s changed the game,” Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden said of Curry. “He’s changed the game from his aura, obviously his shooting, his presence. Being in this arena gives me nightmares because I had to go against them. It was a real battle. We literally created teams just to beat the Warriors. Somehow, some way, they always ended up in the Finals.

“He’s done so much for this game. It’s going to be sad when guys like him, guys like [Kevin Durant] and [LeBron James], us to remove ourselves from the game, it’s going to be sad. But this is an opportunity for us to celebrate him being in San Francisco.”

The celebrations continued all weekend long for Curry, the Warriors and the entire Bay Area.

But it was important for players to recognize the man who all too often shies away from self-praise, especially for those who have endured so many hard-fought battles against him on the basketball court.

Similar to Harden, Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving reminisced on his relationship with Curry over the years dating back to their memorable NBA Finals matchups when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Me and Steph’s relationship is ultra-competitive. That’s where it started from just because we didn’t really know each other coming into the league,” Irving said. “To see him ascend to the places he’s been, two-time MVP. I’m on record saying that he’s been the guy for our generation for a while. When someone’s setting that precedent and is that successful, it’s hard not to try to steal recipes from them for success. Whether that be things he’s doing in the weight room, the way he handles being a franchise leader, whether it’s handling tough situations.

“I’ve learned a lot from him and I think that’s been a great, not distant relationship, but we’ve kept it competitive but at the same time when we’re in places like this, we can open up to each other and talk from places of understanding of knowing what it’s like to be in that pressure cooker. Being a small guard and leading your team. It feels good when you get on the other end of success and all those doubters have to look you in the face and say you did it. So I think that attitude and mentality that Steph has had for a while has rubbed off on a lot of people.”

That relationship was portrayed perfectly before the All-Star Game Final. Irving and Curry were warming up on the court while appearing to break down certain moves to one another.

It goes to show that the competitiveness runs deep, but the respect always will be there.

The Warriors’ latest NBA title, their fourth in eight seasons, came with a win over the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Finals. Boston’s gut-wrenching loss hit hard for Jayson Tatum, who used it to fuel the Celtics’ run back to the big stage last season and win his first championship ring.

The defending champ, typically a man of few words who isn’t too much into the spotlight or media presence, spoke to reporters after Sunday’s All-Star Game for roughly five minutes and 30 seconds. Most of his responses lasted 30 seconds, maybe 45. When NBC Sports Bay Area asked him about Curry, he spoke for over a minute about his relationship with the Warriors superstar.

“Steph, his impact on the game I think globally has been special,” Tatum said. “Myself, a lot of guys grew up watching Steph and what he’s been able to accomplish over his career, the way he’s went about it. Whatever you want to rank him, one of the best players of all time, he’s an unbelievable person as well. I had the opportunity to — obviously on the USA team this summer, spent a lot of time with him, played some golf. Been on numerous All-Star teams together, competed in the Finals.

“It’s an honor to compete against guys that maybe you looked up to when you were in high school, and then you find yourself winning gold medals with them and competing against them in the Finals and All-Star Games. You probably just can’t say enough good things about Steph and what he’s done for the game.”

Tatum is 26. Curry turns 37 next month. With the torches soon being passed over to the new generation, the respect and admiration for Curry has no age limit.

Although, Curry does find the humor in the age gaps.

“That’s the most important thing,” Curry said of having the league-wide respect of his peers. “[The] media’s opinion is important, fans’ opinion is important, but your counterparts and your colleagues who understand the sacrifice it takes to do what we do at a high level, the longevity of it, the way you handle yourself, the impact that you had, I appreciate any time somebody tells me what them watching me play basketball has done for them in some sort of way. I don’t ever take any of that for granted.

“That means you’re getting old when they start to flip it on, ‘I remember watching you when you were doing such-and-such and I was in middle school.’ I love hearing those type of stories.”

Even players such as Miami Heat rising guard Tyler Herro, who maybe hasn’t had as many run-ins with Curry and the Warriors, can’t deny Curry’s impact not only on the sport but in his personal life.

“I mean, everywhere you go you see Steph on the billboards around the streets. Rightfully so,” Herro said. “He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Obviously all the championships he’s brought to the city of San Francisco and Oakland. He’s impacted me a lot, more than he knows.

“I try to keep watching his influence on the game, how he impacts the younger generation and how he leads by example.”

Herro, who’s having a career-best year this season with Miami and shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc, won the 2025 Starry 3-Point Contest on Saturday night. He has gone from a 20-year-old rookie to a 25-year-old proud father of two ready to take that next step as a professional athlete. Sounds like a good start in following Curry’s footsteps.

While all the kind words from the game’s greats surely are well-received by Curry, perhaps no approval is more fitting and special than that from Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard.

With All-Star Weekend returning to the Bay for the first time in 25 years and for the first time with Curry as the head host, reflecting on all Curry has done both on and off the court is extra meaningful to Lillard for reasons close to the East Oakland native’s heart.

No player participating in All-Star festivities this weekend cares more about Oakland and the Bay Area than Lillard, but if there’s a close second, it’s Curry without a doubt. Whether it was the 11 years he spent in Portland or when he’s over 2,000 miles away in Milwaukee, it gives Lillard reassurance that the city and region he cares most about is in good hands with his adopted Bay Area brother.

“Steph’s had an amazing, amazing impact on the league,” Lillard said. “I think for people who are NBA fans, you always see the big, strong, athletic, extremely gifted guys that are the stars that people want to follow. I think Steph was one of those guys who’s 6-foot-3, thin, a lot of skill, a lot of finesse – but an extreme competitor. Extremely hard worker, humble, comes from a good family, cares about the right things, lives his life by the right things.

“And I think that’s what makes his legacy so special. Kids play this game because of Steph Curry now. A lot of people look at him as the reason they do a lot of things. Me being from here, caring about the Bay Area and caring about the city of Oakland, if it’s going to be somebody that’s going to be an influence and have that type of platform and influence over things, I would want it to be somebody like him.”

From where it all started in East Oakland, inside Oracle Arena to across the Bay Bridge at Chase Center, the weekend perfectly reflected that Curry’s impact has no zip code. It isn’t often that people from different backgrounds, upbringings and generations agree on things. But when it comes to Steph Curry and his legacy, the appreciation is universal.

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