Stephen Curry is no stranger to the global stage of the NBA Finals. He’s been there five times, to be exact.
So on Monday afternoon, Curry shared his advice for young Warriors teammates as they prepare to battle the Boston Celtics for their first NBA championship, starting with Game 1 at the Chase Center on Thursday.
“The biggest problem is the chaos before and after the game,” Curry said, comparing the Finals to other playoff games. “The training schedule is different. There is more focus. Obviously, when you’re preparing for a game, you have to adapt to the different flow of the day.
“But my advice is, at the end of the day, once the ball goes down, you might get a little nervous for the first six minutes of the first quarter. But you get used to it quickly, and then there’s basketball.”
Golden State rookie Moses Moody celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday, leaving only 19-year-old Jonathan Kuminga on the Warriors’ roster. But 22-year-old Jordan Poole and even 27-year-old veteran Andrew Wiggins are gearing up for their first Finals, and they’re likely listening when it comes to Curry’s advice.
“You don’t have to do anything different from what you’ve been doing,” Curry continued. “But it’s also about the importance of every possession, fighting through fatigue, fighting through nerves and adrenaline. If you have a few failures, fight some failures because everyone is going to matter.
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“It’s also just to stay prepared because the way the playoff series — especially the way we play — in terms of who’s in the rotation, who’s getting minutes, who’s getting opportunities, things can change very quickly. We’re going to need everyone to win four more games.”
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