Shaun Livingston reveals how Stephen Curry’s humility and willingness to take a step back for the team’s success set him apart from other NBA superstars.
On the ‘Knuckleheads’ podcast, former NBA player Shaun Livingston praised Stephen Curry as the most humble superstar he’s ever encountered. Livingston shared insights from his time with the Golden State Warriors, where he witnessed Curry’s unassuming nature, even as one of the league’s biggest stars.
“No problem welcome KD with open arms and was cool with him taking the most shots and doing all that. It was hard for Steph because it was an adjustment. He didn’t make the adjustment until Christmas game.”
I remember we, I think we lost to the Cavs that game. Kyrie again, last second shot. But, you know, Steph, that’s the part where you say he’s such a nice guy because he is the most humble superstar I’ve ever been around.”
“We done been around superstars and the blueprint of what you’ve seen was Mike, where it’s like, get out the way. If you don’t want to win, my way, right? And everybody coming after Mike felt like you had to be a certain type of, you know what I’m saying, personality. Kobe was that way in a way, right?”
“Like, it was the a**hole type of personality. Steph wasn’t that way. But he still had that competitive killer instinct on the court, but he’s quiet, good dude, well-spoken, right? Come from a good background, all the things where it was just different, and he allowed you to be comfortable on the court with him, even though he was a superstar, and you didn’t get that a lot.”
“You know if you’re playing with superstars, because that ball got a little bit more weight on it when he passed it to you. You know what I’m saying? Like, you know, Steph allowed you to still be yourself. He still, you know, wanted you to be yourself. He never got on guys. He was never yelling at guys. That wasn’t his type of energy.”
“And so when KD got there, the fact that he went to go recruit, you know, like not recruit, but just talk to him, you know, and, and, hey man, like we got a chance to do something special. Most superstars like, hey, team, you know, GM, you gonna do that, right? Like you, you know, I’ll put a call in, but I’m not gonna pull up.”
“Like, that’s the humility that Steph has. And that’s the, you know, his character, what goes into his character. Like, you know, I’ll take a step back if this is for the best of the team. You don’t see that with superstars. It’s my narrative, you know what I’m saying? I’m gonna control it the way, because that’s what my talent dictates.” (3:04)
Livingston reflected on how Curry handled the arrival of Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors, noting that Curry welcomed Durant with open arms and was comfortable allowing Durant to take on a leading role. Despite being the face of the Warriors and a two-time MVP, Curry didn’t assert his dominance or demand the spotlight. Instead, he embraced the challenge of adjusting his game to accommodate Durant, which Livingston acknowledged was a difficult transition for Curry.
Livingston recalled a specific moment during the 2016 Christmas Day game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Curry’s adjustment to Durant’s presence became apparent.
Livingston contrasted Curry’s humility with the more aggressive personalities of other NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who were known for their intense, sometimes abrasive, leadership styles. In contrast, Curry’s approach was different. While he had the same competitive killer instinct, he was also a “quiet, good dude, well-spoken” who came from a strong background.
Stephen Curry’s humility extended to how he treated his teammates. Livingston emphasized that Curry made everyone feel comfortable on the court, never yelling or demanding more from them. This willingness to step back and let others shine, even at the expense of his own narrative, is what Livingston believes sets Curry apart as a truly humble superstar.