Adam Silver credits Steph Curry for the insane growth in girls and women’s basketball

Stephen Curry has been one of the most influential figures in basketball and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged it.

Adam Silver credits Steph Curry for the insane growth in girls and women’s basketball

Adam Silver has high praise for Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in basketball. His impact on and off the court have given him this status, especially as one of the foremost reasons for the modern 3-point revolution in basketball. But one of his greatest achievements is perhaps his influence on Women’s basketball and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is not turning a blind eye to it.

Curry’s influence has been such that it has seeped deep into the grassroots levels of basketball across genders. Commissioner Adam Silver recently called Curry a ‘commissioner’s dream’ continuing to be a trailblazer while also being one of the best products the league has to offer on a nightly basis.

YouTube video

Steph is a commissioner’s dream… He makes my job easy. He travels in the offseason, he goes everywhere. I think he plays, most importantly, with real joy. In addition to the success he’s had, he’s so relatable as a player… I actually think the growth we’ve seen in women’s basketball is directly connected to Steph, too, because he plays below the rim. He plays a very relatable style of basketball.

Silver said on the Murph & Markus show

Commissioner Silver’s comments stemmed from an interview on KNBR 680’s Murph & Markus ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. On the show, Silver was asked about basketball’s cultural significance in the Bay Area. Naturally, any conversation surrounding the Bay Area has to shift to Stephen Curry, as the definitive modern Bay Area athlete. Silver didn’t hesitate to praise on the Warriors’ superstar, heaping praise on him for influencing not just the men’s game, but the women’s game too.

FS Video

As Adam Silver mentioned, the most important part of Stephen Curry’s influence is his relatibility with the common fan, which makes him an outlier. Unlike high-flying players who dominate with sheer athleticism, Curry’s dominance in the game has been with skill, finesse, and precision shooting – traits that have revolutionized modern basketball for men and women.

Stephen Curry credits Kobe Bryant for being the ultimate pioneer of growing women’s basketball

The three-point revolution has not only transformed the NBA but has also influenced a new generation of female hoopers. WNBA stars like Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu have often cited Stephen Curry as their inspiration. However, while Curry has played a pivotal role in inspiring the current generation of female athletes, he is quick to credit one of the game’s greatest legends for being the pioneer of inspiring women’s hoops, Kobe Bryant.

He was the first one I saw consistently and to the masses promoting it. Not just (his daughter) Gigi’s team, but girls’ basketball in general. He spent his time reaching out, obviously his relationship with Sabrina (Ionescu), showing up at games, what he did at the academy and opening up facilities for them. He was an unbelievable role model in terms of putting his name and stamp on women’s basketball as something to invest in.

Stephen Curry said to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II

Bryant’s dedication to the women’s game intensified after his retirement, as he mentored WNBA players, attended games, and even established the Mamba Sports Academy to train young athletes, including his daughter Gianna, who had dreams of playing in the WNBA.

Beyond his direct involvement, Kobe Bryant’s influence shaped some of the WNBA’s biggest names. Players like Diana Taurasi and Jewell Loyd embraced his ‘Mamba Mentality,’ which eventually earned them the monikers ‘White Mamba’ and ‘Gold Mamba’ respectively, an homage to Bryant’s iconic ‘Black Mamba’ nickname.