Thompson: Steph Curry says he is healthy and ready to start the push to regain the NBA championship.
OAKLAND — The highlight of Stephen Curry’s summer was a party in New York City, a climactic end to a frantic offseason.
In hindsight, as he flipped through his memories of the past few months, he most fondly remembered two-stepping at an exclusive shindig last week on the second floor of William Sonoma. The summer saw him play golf with President Obama again, help land Kevin Durant, tour Asia and even drive an IndyCar at Sonoma Raceway.
But this party was most grand because of the occasion.
“We celebrated my wife’s New York book tour,” Curry said after his session at Warriors media day Monday. “We
had a blast. It was a special moment.”
Another summer, another whirlwind for Curry.
This time, Curry was the supporting actor. He still had appearances, commercial shoots and basketball camps. But on top of that, he was riding along Ayesha Curry’s whirlwind as she released her new cook book.
These chaotic offseasons have proven to be a good thing for Curry. The storm forces him to find the calm. The burdensome schedule makes him diligent about not neglecting his duties.
His workouts become therapy. Basketball becomes his sanctuary from the demands of stardom. So as usual, Curry comes to training camp in shape, healthy and revved up.
The offseason is work. But now starts the love.
“This thing is always weird,” Curry said. “No matter how your season ends, it’s always -- a lot of different emotions and thoughts that go into this day, because it does mark the start of a new year.”
Curry said he is healthy. The medial collateral ligament in his right knee is healed. His conditioning is on point. The limited player who millions watched underwhelm in the NBA Finals is gone, and back should be the two-time MVP.
He is no stranger to summers packed with special events. Talk shows. Endorsement obligations. Product endorsements. Flights all over. Those are par for the course when you’re the MVP and face of a franchise that’s become the face of the NBA. This is his new norm. For at least the past few years, something major has happened to dominate his offseason.
But underneath the special events and appearances is usually a mission. That never seems to get lost in all the offseason fun. He usually has something driving him while all the spoils of his celebrity figure to distract him.
In 2012, he was recovering from career-threatening ankle surgery. He worked like never before to prove his career wasn’t doomed.
In 2013, he left Nike and became the face of Under Armour, and mixed in a trip to Tanzania, Africa, to pass out malaria nets in person. But he also had to prove he was ready to lead the Warriors to another level after they upset Denver in the first round and fought tough against San Antonio.
In 2014, he played in the FIBA World Cup of Basketball. He went to Spain an All-Star and face of the rising Warriors, but lost out to Chris Paul in a grueling seven-game series. He then played a second-tier role with Team USA. Curry was determined to prove he was elite.
In 2015, he was the MVP and an NBA champion. He was the face of basketball. His new bent became justifying the hype.
In 2016, his wife became a celebrity chef, author and television persona.
“They’re both just amazing experiences because they’re things we never dreamt of doing,” Curry said. “They’re things that our passions, like I love playing basketball, she loves doing what she does in the kitchen, making recipes and connecting with people. It’s all pretty natural. But it’s different being on the other side, for sure. I enjoyed that part of it. Just kind of watching.”
The watching is over. Curry ended the season in the most heartbreaking of fashions: playing his worst game of the season in the biggest game of the year.
History tells us Curry will be driven by the Warriors’ Game 7 collapse, by many doubting what he’s accomplished.
History tells us before the all the fun he had this offseason, the media tours and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, he was working toward vindicating his name.
The offseason is work. Now starts the love.