In a recent episode of the Glue Guys Podcast, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offered a glowing, and deeply personal, assessment of Stephen Curry’s role on Team USA, calling him the “undisputed closer” even among a roster stacked with basketball royalty.
The conversation centered around Team USA’s triumphant run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Curry played a pivotal role in securing gold. Despite sharing the court with legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, it was Curry who consistently took the reins in crunch time. Kerr didn’t mince words:
“Even on a team with some of the all-time greats, they were all deferring to him, and he was chasing the ball. It’s the most amazing mindset I’ve ever seen.”
Kerr went further, comparing Curry’s mentality to that of Michael Jordan, whom he played alongside during his Chicago Bulls days.
“Michael’s mindset seemed to come more from a desire to kill the opponent, to just stick the knife in and twist it,” Kerr said. “Steph’s is more about the joy of the act of shooting a ball. That’s what makes it so beautiful to watch Steph.”
Curry’s Olympic performance backed up Kerr’s praise. He led Team USA in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and setting a record for most three-pointers made in a final. His clutch shooting in the semifinal against Serbia, where he dropped 36 points, and his late-game heroics in the gold medal match against France cemented his status as the team’s go-to closer.
