Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry identified the NBA arrival of Trae Young as when he started to realize his outsized influence on the sport.
Curry revealed this in a recent sitdown with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and former NBA player and coach Steve Nash, the co-hosts of the “Mind the Game” podcast.
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James specifically asked Curry: “When did you figure out, holy s—, Steph, what you’re doing on the floor is transcending a whole generation of players?”
Curry’s response? “When Trae Young came into the league, that was the first person they said was like the ‘next’ me,” Curry said of Young. “Even though he’s a different player. I knew him when he was in high school … That might be the first time I thought about it or really realized what [my] impact was.”
Curry also referenced a memorable comment from his former coach, Mark Jackson, who said on an ESPN broadcast in 2015 that Curry “ruined the game” after young players across the country were attempting to mimic his long-range shooting style — without his accuracy.
“What Mark didn’t realize is he ruined the league, too,” James laughed. “Everyone shoots 3s now. Everyone. Sixty 3s a game, 50 3s a game. It’s all Steph. It’s all Steph.”
Nash specifically mentioned Curry’s mid-career leap from 646 attempted 3-pointers in a season (2014-15) to 886 the following season (2015-16) as a seminal development.
“You jumped 200 3s attempted,” Nash said. “From one season to the next, 200 3s attempted. Then, the league followed. [Damian Lillard] and Klay [Thompson]. Now it’s not uncommon for three or four guys on your roster to shoot hundreds of 3s [per season].”
Curry credited his former general manager Bob Myers with cracking open that door.
“Shot quality is still … the jury’s still out in the league,” Curry said. “Bob Myers was the first one to tell me, ‘You should shoot 15 3s a game.’ I’m like, ‘What? You know how hard it is to get 12 good looks up?’ But he said, ‘Why not? The math says 15 3s for you is great.’ But, yes, the game has morphed like crazy.”
“It’s all Steph,” James said. “It’s all Steph.”
The podcast opened with a story from Nash about a preseason night when he defended a younger Curry, which convinced Nash his career was nearing its end. The conversation then shifted to a longer discussion about Curry’s shooting influences, jumper mechanics and eventually the schematic nuances of the Warriors’ offense.
“My hero!” ðŸ˜
This story from @SteveNash about @StephenCurry30 passing him by is hilarious. Watch the full episode for more great conversation, out now on our YouTube: https://t.co/HdIN9eJzNE pic.twitter.com/eiXt09r3eL
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) November 4, 2025
Part one of the conversation closed with the three NBA legends pulling out a laptop and breaking down film from Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2016, reviewing scenarios where Curry and the Warriors exploited James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There will be a second part of the conversation released at a later date. The three hinted that the film breakdown will flip to James’ highlights in the most famous game played between the two, won by the Cavaliers 93-89.
“This is the happiest I’ve ever been watching this game, by the way,” Curry said while Nash showed his highlights.
