Warriors’ Steph Curry or Steve Nash today? “I would go with Steph,” says former teammate

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ONTARIO, CA - OCTOBER 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against Steve Nash #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers on October 12, 2012 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBA Hall of Famer, Steve Nash and Golden State Warriors point guard, Steph Curry are both amazing talents on the basketball court at the point guard position.

A five-time NBA All Star, Curry is a three-time NBA Champion and has the chance to get his fourth ring with the addition of DeMarcus Cousins to the juggernaut Golden State Warriors.

Steve Nash, an eight-time NBA All-Star, was a seven-time All-NBA selection and was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player while playing for the Phoenix Suns.

The decorated Canadian basketball player was a Robert Horry-scorers table crash, with a subsequent Amare Stoudemire suspension away from making it to the 2007 NBA Finals.

Million dollar question: Who would you rather play with in their prime? Nash or Curry?

“You know what, I think I would go with Steph,” retired NBA vet Charlie Bell told me.

PHOENIX, AZ – FEBRUARY 10: Charlie Bell #34 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center on February 10, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 112-88. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

During his seven year NBA playing career, Bell played with both Nash and Curry as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, respectively.“I think Steph has really changed the game with just seeing somebody who can shoot the ball from just about anywhere on the court, spot-up, off the dribble,” said Bell.

“You know, I think Steve Nash is great as far as penetrating and keeping the dribble and finding people like Stoudemire. He’s a great mid-range shooter, but like I said, Steph opens the court up so much for guys and he’s a problem out there, because he can score from anywhere.”

A member of Michigan State’s National Championship team in 2000, Bell, a Flint, Michigan native spent part of his summer playing in Byron Scott’s Primetime Basketball league with retired NBA players Amare Stoudemire, Luther Head, Darius Miles and others. 

Bell says he’s pleased that Nash was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last month. Bell also says that Nash could still lace ’em up on the court if he had to. “Steve was one of those guys that was always in the gym and he took care of his body,” said Bell.

“You look at him right now, he looks like he can still play and he’s probably 45-50 years-old.  He still looks like he can play, he’s just one of those guys that I’ve never seen nobody with the fore strength that he had, as far as getting on the bouncing balls, keeping balance, lifting weights, he was phenomenal, man.  To see the work ethic that he had and the way he approached the game, very professional about it, he would treat everybody on the team the same from the first All Stars to the 12-15th man.  He’s a great guy and just seeing him going to the hall of fame is great.”

NBA legend and former Chicago Bulls champion, Horace Grant once said on the Scoop B Radio Podcast that Michael Jordan was “the devil in practice.”

What was Steph Curry like in practice? He worked hard,” assured Bell.

“He was one of those guys, especially back then, he was a little smaller, timid, but he didn’t back down.  He’s one of those guys that’s going to keep coming at you. Even if you’re getting up he’s going to get up.  He’s going to come and he’s going to play hard. You see a lot of superstars that don’t want to practice. When Steph wanted to practice, he’d go out there and give it 110% every day.”

Retired NBA vet, J.R. Reid was a teammate of Steph Curry’s dad, Dell Curry while they were members of the Charlotte Hornets. He shared that the team would have a young Steph Curry sing Michael Jackson songs in the locker room and on the team plane. “He was just a source of entertainment for us,” J.R. Reid told me. 

“I mean, he’s a big kid,” Charlie Bell said while grinning.

“I think that’s what a lot of people don’t see about him.  You know, you don’t see these guys off the court, so the thing about Steph is he’s a big kid but he likes to have fun, he’s always joking, and you forget that he’s a grown man sometimes.  He isn’t a little teenager, he just enjoys the game of basketball, I think he enjoys playing the right way and back then he was a little smaller but now, you know I last saw him like a year ago and I kind of gave him a little hug and I felt how strong he was.  I was like, ‘okay you put a little weight on.’

Bell says he likes the Warriors’ chances and sees it being a bit difficult for LeBron James and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. “ I don’t think they can take the Warriors right away,” said Bell.

“But when you add a superstar like LeBron on your team, they have a chance.  What he did with Cleveland, he took them to the Finals, I mean, and going to LA, I think they would have a chance, but that West is going to be hard.  Houston added a couple more guys and Phoenix, so they’re going to be tough, so it’s going to be fun to watch, man, I can’t wait for the NBA to start.”

 

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