Hip hop mogul Calvin Broadus Jr., commonly known as Snoop Dogg, is known to the world as a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, which means he developed a deep love and respect for the late Kobe Bryant.
He was asked by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith which current NBA player most reminds him of Bryant, and he said Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors best fits that description.
Curry may not be quite as deadly as Bryant was in crunch time, but he has been better in such situations than some want to admit.
He proved that point in Game 4 of last year’s NBA Finals versus the Boston Celtics. With his team down 2-1 in the series and playing in Boston, he carried Golden State to a 10-point victory with 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
That win turned things around for the Warriors, who then won the next two games and captured their fourth championship in eight years, making them a true dynasty. Curry won his first NBA Finals MVP, giving him the one individual honor that had eluded him over the years.
Of course, he is almost universally considered the greatest outside shooter in the history of the game, and his ability to knock down deep 3-pointers with one or two defenders in his face has redefined the definition of what is a good shot in today’s NBA.
Bryant was perhaps the first player to hit such shots with any type of regularity, but for years now, Curry has been doing so seemingly all the time.
This regular season, he put up outstanding numbers while seemingly holding a struggling Warriors team together. But in recent weeks, they may have turned things around, as they won eight of their final 10 regular season games and snagged the sixth seed in the Western Conference, allowing them to avoid the play-in tournament.
With a first-round playoff date against the neophyte Sacramento Kings, perhaps the Warriors will start to look like the Warriors again very soon.
