Before Stephen Curry’s historic Game 7 performance Sunday, the Warriors star did something a little out of character. After his team’s Game 6 loss to the Kings at home, in which his team appeared lethargic and flat, Curry gave an emotional speech that galvanized his team.
Golden State forward Draymond Green explained on his podcast that he couldn’t sleep after Game 6 early Saturday morning, and he texted Curry and Klay Thompson around 3 a.m., leading to Curry responding at 6 a.m. because he apparently couldn’t sleep, either. Green is usually the Warriors’ vocal leader, but Curry told him he wanted to deliver a message to the team before Game 7.
“I don’t even talk a lot, but I’ve got something to say,” Curry told the team, per The Athletic.
Draymond Green talks about the speech Steph Curry gave before Game 7 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q5rO2PqK1m
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“He delivered such a powerful message,” Green said. “He said, ‘If you getting on this bus, you making a commitment to this team. I don’t care how many minutes you play. I don’t care if you don’t play a single second. I don’t care if it’s points, rebounds, whatever it is. But if you getting on this bus, you are saying, I am going to do whatever it takes, as far as my preparation goes, to win this game.’”
According to The Athletic, Curry implored his teammates to put all of their feelings aside—which seemed to be directed at Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and other players who might’ve been unhappy with their playing time or role. What followed was the highest-scoring performance in Game 7 history. Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points and punched his team’s ticket to the second round of the playoffs. After the win, his teammates mentioned the galvanizing speech.
“It gave me chills,” said Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, per The Athletic. “No. 30, he’s different, man.”
“He is that guy,” Warriors guard Gary Payton II said at his locker after the game. “So when he speaks, everybody better listen. Because 30 is usually quiet and lets his game speak for itself.”
