Why watching Steph play reminds Hield of soccer stars Messi, Ronaldo originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Buddy Hield grew up watching Warriors teammate Steph Curry change the game of basketball with his 3-point shooting prowess.
And now that they share the same uniform, Hield still gets starstruck when watching the 10-time NBA All-Star sink triple after triple, even at age 36.
In the latest episode of “Dubs Talk” with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, Hield compared the theatrics of Curry’s game to some of the world’s biggest sports megastars.
“It is surreal,” Hield told Johnson about watching Curry. “I joke about it, you know. Everybody’s like, ‘I have to go see [Lionel Messi] play, I have to go see [Cristiano Ronaldo] play.’ I think seeing Steph Curry shoot is like — on cameras it’s a lot different; in person, it’s remarkable.”
Messi and Ronaldo probably are two of the biggest names in sports. But Hield’s comparison fits just right.
Watching Curry on television is one thing, but watching him up close is another. Seeing Curry putting the ball into the net is one of few phenomena that can match watching Messi or Ronaldo anger entire countries with their skills on the pitch.
And Hield, who attended Oklahoma, watched Curry dominate the Oklahoma City Thunder live during the peak of the franchises’ rivalry. He believes watching Curry never gets old.
“Seeing him shoot the basketball, it’s a thing of beauty,” Hield told Johnson. “The trajectory of his shot, the way he shoots, it’s so effortless. The way [the basketball] comes off his hands, it’s God’s gift.
“The fluidity of his shot, I wish I had it. Every time I see him shoot, I’m like, ‘Man, it looks pretty.’ The work I see him put in is just so remarkable. It rubs off on me. Imagine people who don’t get to see this every day. Imagine how much he can inspire.”
Curry has inspired plenty to watch and play basketball throughout his 16-year Warriors career, the same way Messi and Ronaldo have inspired many to watch and play soccer.
Hield, however, gets to see Curry live — every time.
