Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry and ESPN analyst Doris Burke joined forces Friday afternoon on the Jr. NBA Leadership Conference to give kids lessons and advice during this difficult time.
With Burke asking questions and giving occasional personal input, Curry described how his life is going, how he and his kids are working through the coronavirus pandemic and, of course, had plenty of basketball-related advice for young athletes who tuned in.
The following are how Curry responded to different topics presented by Burke. When Burke speaks, it is specified.
On communication:
Sometimes the craziness of life can district you a little bit. But through this situation, you find out who (your support system is) really fast as your day to day, your routines, your jobs, they look a lot different. You start to kind of analyze who those people around you who you can rely on for positivity and support.
… It’s about just staying in touch, asking the simple questions of how you’re doing, what’s on your mind, trying to check in as much as possible. … It’s a great opportunity to hit the reset button and reach out to people that you’ve maybe lost touch with.”
On the importance of asking and answering questions:
It’s tough. Our oldest is 7, and so not being at school, there’s been a lot of questions just centered around that. Why can’t I go see my friends? Why are you teaching me grammar? (laughs) I’m asking myself the same questions. … Being as honest as possible, understanding that at her age she can handle a little bit more than her younger siblings.
… I told her we’re just going to figure it out. Some days it’s going to be good, some days it’s going to be rough. You might feel sad certain days, you might be happy other days. Every emotion you have is OK.
Just make sure that you’re telling us what’s going on so we can help because we’re going through the same things as gown adults. So I think being as honest as possible to her has been huge.
Burke: While (children) might not be able to consciously recognize what it is exactly they’re feeling, to speak to a parent, to speak to a friend, to speak to a colleague, to know that we’re all sort of in the same boat, that’s a comforting thing.
On finding gratitude, peace in tough situations
I try to find gratitude somewhere, or appreciation of something. Everybody’s in different circumstances. It’s easy to complain, I find myself doing it either under my breath or to my wife. She’ll look me in my face and be like, ‘Hey, it could be worse, but also think about all the great things that have happened whether it’s relationships, whether it’s something that has taught you who you are in this world and those people that you matter to.’
Finding some type of appreciation on some level will hopefully set your day off in the right direction. … There are real-life situations that people are going through, and real-life change that there’s a lot of fear and uncertainty going around. I think there’s always something we can be appreciative of. It’s just life in general, health, that can frame your point of view on the difficult challenges that you have to face.
Burke: You’re striking a chord with me, Steph. I didn’t know it at the time obviously but that last game on March 11, I actually had the virus. I was not feeling well. And to be perfectly honest with you, along the lines of your feeling the gratitude, when I came through it, that was the only emotion I was literally capable of feeling was incredible gratitude for being well and that my children were well. So believe me when I tell you, that’s a great perspective and I keep saying to my kids there are lessons here for us … Lean into these lessons, whatever they may be.
On finding your own leadership style
As I look back from when I started playing AAU basketball when I was 9 to now, I have the same personality. I love to have fun, I love to smile, I love to crack jokes, and keep it light no matter what room I’m in … I always knew that was kind of my disposition and my personality, that’s what I was comfortable with.
… There comes a certain expectation that from a leadership standpoint that sometimes you have to be the most vocal and demonstrative. … You don’t have to be anybody but yourself.
There are a lot of different ways that leadership presents itself. I feel like I have a blend of a couple factors where I try to lead by example – like putting in the most time, having the hardest work ethic – and showing people what it means to be committed to winning, doing everything that you can to get better every single year and not settling.
I can show it better than I can say it … But I’m also pretty selective when I do speak. I’m not the loudest guy in the room. When I do say something hopefully it commands attention and has a presence about it. You might walk in the room and you might not hear me, you might just see me grinding, and that’s OK in a certain sense.
You talk about Draymond, he has a totally different approach that works for him because of who he is and what his personality is like and what makes us better as a team.
… You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror every day and say, ‘Did I do everything that I could to not only make myself better but everyone around me?’ That doesn’t mean it’s something tangible, it’s just a feeling that you have.
On overcoming adversity during games
It is probably one of the hardest things to do because there has to be a level of sacrifice of that specific game, possibly, that would be instrumental in changing that player’s perceptive on dealing with failure.
When I was a freshman in college, my coach, Bob McKillop, he put me out there. It was very first game. I had all the confidence in the world, I was playing Division 1 basketball and starting my first freshman game. In the first half I had nine turnovers.
Coach McKillop had a decision at that point … Pull me and hopefully minimize the damage and maybe go after the win? Or to keep me out there and keep staying in my ear to help me see the picture right? But even if I didn’t get me that game, his words and his actions were going to help me that next game and the game after that and it would be kind of a snowball effect from there.
… Just the big picture of trying to make sure that one moment doesn’t become so defeating that they’re scared to take risks and to put themselves out there. At the end of the day, win or lose, as long as you gave your best effort, you’ll be alright.
Curry finished that game with 13 turnovers, but Davidson managed to hold on to get the 81-77 win over Eastern Michigan.
