SAN FRANCISCO — It was after a makeup artist dabbed him with fake sweat but before a director asked him to bark like a seal that Stephen Curry sustained a minor injury that nearly cut his marathon media day duties short Monday.
Of all things, an overhead camera conked the superstar on the head during filming of a promo that was supposed to air on the Golden State Warriors scoreboard this season. Curry suffered what a team spokesman later described as a “kink” in his neck.
Curry was fine by nightfall and ready for the first practice by the time training camp opened Tuesday in Hawaii. But the injury was enough to require the attention of a Warriors trainer and knocked out the most sought-after attraction at media day for nearly 30 minutes.
The bad neck put a kink in Curry’s schedule too. He lost time he didn’t have to spare. By the time he returned to the madness, Curry hustled from a radio station interview to a TV promo shoot to a team photo op to something called the “Hype Room” as if on a fast break.
Media day is just a tad different than it was in 2010.
“It’s evolved crazy from my rookie year to now,” Curry, a 16-year-veteran said as he navigated a Chase Center floor. “You know you’re in for a marathon.”
Stephen Curry strikes one of his many poses on a media day that lasted for four hours at Chase Center. (Cary Edmondson / Imagn Images)
To provide an idea of what this annual ritual is like, the Warriors arranged for The Athletic to tag along with Curry during what turned out to be an eventful morning. His original itinerary included 22 stops over four hours, the maximum time allotted for an NBA media day per the collective bargaining agreement.
Along for the ride was Adonal Foyle, a former Warriors center, who served as The Ghost of Media Days Past. Foyle debuted in 1997 when the most taxing thing he did was sit around a table and chat with any reporter who stopped by for a quote.
Foyle reminisced several times about those bygone days, including late in the day with Curry at his weariest.
“In my day, we’d be done by now. We’d be home,” Foyle said with a laugh.
“I hate those stories,” Curry cracked.
And then the two-time NBA MVP soldiered on, rolling his neck to keep things loose.
One of Steph Curry’s stops on media day was the Hype Room to record clips for the scoreboard.
And … action! pic.twitter.com/92zrV98i76
— Daniel Brown (@BrownieAthletic) October 3, 2024
Every NBA team hosts a media day. It’s a chance to kill a flock of birds with one stone. Reporters are there, sure, but in the modern age, much of the demand is internal. The Warriors’ digital teams, game-day operations and broadcast partners all need Curry for a few minutes, and it’s time he will no longer have once the regular season is in full swing.
Already among the most marketable faces in the game, the 36-year-old somehow raised his profile with his supernova finish at the Paris Olympics. More than ever his time, like his medal, is worth its weight in gold.
Curry’s scheduled stops are mapped out with precision with to-do items like NBA Photo Blue (3 min), NBA TV Live (6-8 min) and Social/Digital (10-12 min). Those aren’t mere suggestions: The timer starts ticking down like a shot clock as soon as he enters a room.
As Curry begins this odyssey, Warriors public relations manager Cole Lawrence gives the superstar some reassurance by holding up a small bag. It’s full of candy, heavy on Skittles and Starbursts, in case of emergency.
“Good,’’ Curry tells him, “because I’m going to crash about halfway through.”
There are no events at Chase Center the day before media day — no games, no concerts — because it takes 200 employees all day just to build the temporary studios for recording content. There are sets on the main court, the practice court and the courtside lounges.
“The rise in how media has evolved over the years is just insane to me,” Foyle said.
The first stop is the NBC Sports Bay Area booth, which handles local broadcasts. The affiliate needs Curry to film several short promotional spots, and first takes are advised. “You have 12 minutes, starting now,” Lawrence said.
This proves a leisurely way to begin. Curry’s first act is sitting quietly while a producer plays “Roundball Rock,” the vintage basketball ditty written by John Tesh that will return as NBC’s main theme song when the NBA begins airing games again on the network in 2025.
Curry’s job is to soak in the beats for a few moments and share whatever memories wash over him.
Pause.
“Yeah, I love that song,” Curry said for starters, bobbing his head to the music. “I’m thinking of Michael Jordan right now.”
NBC Sports Bay Area continued to tap into Curry’s acting ability by having him read a scripted monologue aloud. Then an off-stage producer read those same lines while cameras captured Curry reacting to each word as if they were his inner thoughts. He stroked his chin pensively, furrowed his brow and nodded with understanding. At the last line — “Where am I? What is this room?!” — Curry looked around with wide eyes, both startled and bewildered.
Cut!
“That’s great range,” the director said.
In a quick stop, Curry records a welcome back message for a certain notable former Warriors player who will return with a new team later this season. No spoilers, but what’s sweet here is that there is no script. Curry simply looks into the camera and speaks from the heart for 30 seconds or so.
As with most everything Curry does on this day, there’s no need to do it again. He nails everything with deceptive ease, just as he does with off-balance 3-pointers.
“Exactly,” Foyle said, marveling at Curry’s acting chops. “Those are not easy things if you don’t have the skill set. I remember in college, one of the first things I did was try some theater. I realized that this is a skill you need. Now I tell every guy, ‘You want to play sports? Better do some theater if you can. It doesn’t hurt!’”
“But Steph, he’s great at it. And you can tell he’s acted some, but most of it is just natural instincts.”
Curry rarely needed a second take at media day, rolling with every shouted direction to pose, smile or gesture. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
Curry’s efficiency at each station helps because, even over four hours, there are no timeouts. The schedule is so tight that Lawrence squirms whenever someone squanders a few precious seconds with chit-chat. “If people want to take their time saying hi and getting caught up, that’s on them,” he said.
So it’s a bit of a gut punch when, barely a half-hour into the proceedings, Curry was summoned back to the starting line. There were still some boxes to check on his preseason physical exam, which is somehow more important than soundbites.
Curry was back in action about 25 minutes later, although “action” is an overstatement here. He camped out in a chair where a Hollywood makeup artist named Marta applied fake sweat to Curry’s face and arms. The concoction was made up largely of baby oil gel. “It’s moisturizing,” Marta tells him.
The Ghost of Media Day Past beheld this scene with amazement.
“We didn’t have this,” Foyle said with a laugh. “If they needed sweat, they’d tell us to run a few sprints.”
Alas, this is where the day takes a turn. Curry dribbled the ball on camera in front of a green screen without incident. But from behind the studio curtains, something went wrong. Curry emerged from that station trying to stretch his shoulder area, wincing as he extended his arms and craned his neck from side to side.
“These are things you do when you’re warmed up,” Foyle said. “I pulled three muscles just watching that.”
One of these Media Day itineraries was for Adonal Foyle in 2003 and the other was for Steph Curry in 2024. See if you can spot the difference. pic.twitter.com/FopA9OC8uV
— Daniel Brown (@BrownieAthletic) October 2, 2024
Since blocked shots became an official stat for the 1973-74 season, Foyle is the Warriors’ all-time leader in blocked shots by a wide margin. The 6-foot-10 center swatted away 1,140 shots to tower above Joe Barry Carroll (836) and Draymond Green (818 and counting).
His history helps pass the time while Curry vanishes into the trainer’s room for treatment. Because earlier on this day, Foyle heard the news that Dikembe Mutombo had died at 58.
“I wanted to be that kind of shot blocker, so I respected him so much,” Foyle said.
Foyle also feared him. More specifically, he feared Mutombo’s signature celebration. “I just didn’t want him to block my shot because he’s going to be wagging if he blocks your shot.”
Did he get you?
“Not that I remember,” Foyle said. “But there were no cameras to prove it.”
The “no cameras” joke seems unthinkable on this day, just as Curry emerges with hundreds of media members waiting for him. “I’m good,” he said, as we resumed our walk around the labyrinth.
There’s a 10-minute stop labeled “Hype Room,” where Curry mostly wanders around under bright, futuristic lights as a director shouts instructions like a photographer at a model shoot.
Maybe a little jersey shake … This looks great … Maybe sway back and forth … a little more sway … I love it. This is sick! … Now give me a double-point into the camera. … Can I get a night-night?”
It does look marvelous. Even better, Curry escapes the Hype Room unscathed.
As we walk away, Foyle, almost under his breath, adds: “Are you sufficiently hyped?”
‘Yeah … that’s ill … love that.’
Steph Curry strikes a pose on Warriors media day. pic.twitter.com/PEOS6oIbeC
— Daniel Brown (@BrownieAthletic) October 3, 2024
The term media day is a bit of a misnomer, as most of the press gets taken care of in one fell swoop. Curry steps into the interview room for a 10-15 minute session that represents the only interview opportunity for most of the 35 credentialed reporters on site. Media day is closer to a media moment.
The questions come like curveballs.
The first question, from a France-based reporter asks, “You endorsed Kamala Harris at the DNC in August. What is your thought on the campaign?”
The second asks about the A’s baseball team leaving Oakland “and what it means going forward for the city?”
Later, “What did you think of (Steve) Kerr doing the ‘night-night’ at the DNC?”
Heck, there are even a few basketball questions about the roster, his Olympic experience, his contract extension and more.
GO DEEPER
Stephen Curry sees a window of opportunity for the Warriors: ‘It’s still about winning’
Whatever the topic, Curry answers with grace and erudition and not a hint of the ums and ers or you knows that plague mere mortals when caught off guard at the dais.
Foyle is blown away again. He worked for several years as a Warriors community ambassador and knows diplomacy when he sees it.
“It’s an impossible road,” Foyle said. “One mistake in this social media landscape can land you in a whole lot of trouble. I think you have to be so much more aware and so much more mindful. It just gets harder and harder. Can you imagine someone watching everything you say all the time?”
With the heavy lifting over, Curry got back to the frivolity. To understand the priorities of the day, consider that one of his next stops — Game Experience Green Screen — is 27 minutes, one of the longest of the day.
Day 1, Year 16, never a dull moment….Let’s get it! pic.twitter.com/VaBSe1eKQz
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) October 1, 2024
During this session, Curry records dozens of light-hearted clips that will appear on the Chase Center video board during the season.
For example, he is asked to rattle off as many former teammates as he can in 20 seconds. (He sneaks in Marreese Speights at the wire.) He does the same thing with pizza toppings (pesto at the buzzer). He is asked to imitate the noise of a cable car bell, a barking seal and, in an interpretive performance, the sound of fog.
Think George Mikan ever did this?
Here, Curry also echoes lines provided by a producer, phrases designed to work Chase Center into a frenzy when the season starts. This part feels like a call-and-response vibe at church.
We need your fourth-quarter energy!
We need your fourth-quarter energy!
This is Warriors Ground. Defend home court!
This is Warriors Ground. Defend home court!
Dub Nation, let ’em hear you! War-riors!
Dub Nation, let ’em hear you! War-riors!
As Curry headed down the hallway toward yet another stop, The Athletic asked Curry how he’s learned to pace himself over the years. Because as the hours dragged on, that sweat was no longer fake.
“You know you’re in for a marathon of some fun stuff and some not-so-fun stuff,” he said. “A lot of the pictures and videos and reads and all that type of stuff. But the more you’re around it, the more you understand what they use this for throughout the year. That makes it a little bit better.”
Then he was on the go again. A camera somewhere needed a snap. A digital producer needed an Instagram post.
“It’s a test of patience for sure, just ’cause, it’s a lot,” Curry said. “I mean, we love to just play basketball. That’s why we’re here. But we know the entertainment value of all this.”
Just watch out for those cameras.
Required Reading
The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.
The story of the greatest plays in NBA history.
(Top photo of Stephen Curry: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Leave a Reply