Few get to peel back the curtain on the private lives of the best competitors in sports. Filmmaker Gotham Chopra has gotten the opportunity to be a fly on the wall for intimate moments with two of elite athletes: NFL quarterback Tom Brady and NBA star Steph Curry.
Chopra helped Brady make the documentary-series called, “Tom vs. Time.” The filmmaker is also making a season-long docu-series on Curry called, “Stephen vs. The Game.” Chopra shared some thoughts on the similarities he saw between the two players.
“They do have some similar DNA, especially that ability when the playoffs come to really focus and wrap themselves in the bubble and shut out the noise,’’ Chopra told The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn.
It’s not just about shutting out the noise, because, in today’s media environment, that’s impossible. Players get texts, emails and app alerts. They also meet repeatedly with reporters, who remind the players of the storylines. So these athletes do more than just shut out the noise.
“They turn doubt into fuel,” Chopra said. “They’ve both become institutions, but that gives them extra motivation. They don’t want to give up the mountaintop. (Warriors coach) Steve Kerr in one of the episodes talks about how maintaining greatness is way harder than achieving greatness because when you’re at the top everyone is coming at you, or teammates start fighting to share credit, or money becomes an issue. Managing all of that is harder than being the outsider or underdog trying to get that first chip.”
