Stephen Curry Taking Shots at James Harden? Chris Paul?

MVP-frontrunner Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is considered one of the nicest players and most beloved superstars in the NBA without a doubt. He’s one of the most likable players in the league, if not THE most likable NBA player at this moment in time.

Curry’s good works and good nature are well documented:

• He plays for the United Nation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, which donates three mosquito nets to malaria-stricken areas in Africa for every three-pointer he makes in a season. He once took it upon himself to go to Tanzania to hand out the nets personally and help spread awareness of his mission.
• His new shoe for Under Armour is said to be “Charged By Belief,” which pays respect to Curry’s Christian values. He even surprised a group of kids in New York with free pairs of his new Curry Ones.
• He has both participated in and hosted charity golf tournaments.
• He won the NBA’s 2013-14 Seasonlong Kia Community Assist Award.
• He takes part in the NBA Cares initiative and Make-a-Wish organization, appearing in public service announcements, helping to feed the hungry, appearing at youth basketball clinics, etc.
• He takes a good amount of time to acknowledge the fans both through social media and in person. And not only does he take time to sign autographs and interact with fans before, during and after the game, but sometimes he even asks for autographs!

The list doesn’t stop there: there’s other charitable things Curry has done and other events Curry has participated in since first coming into the league. It only supports why Curry is so highly regarded in the NBA, described by players, coaches and media as being a very humble, hard-working player on the court and a great friend and family man off the floor.

He’s the type of player that knows he’s good individually, but he’s always about the team. He’s a showman, according to Shaun Livingston, simply for the entertainment of the fans, not to show other players up.

And as Draymond Green says, Curry’s personality isn’t an act — that’s how Curry really is. He was brought up that way by his parents, and his story of nearly not making it to the NBA and working back from constant injury woes is one of an underdog; he appreciates every single moment he takes the hardwood because he understands it’s a privilege to do what he does and be where he is now.

So it’s really quite something when Curry takes a couple of shots at other NBA All-Stars.

Now again: Curry is a high character guy not known for instigating trouble, but some fans have guessed that these two quotes refer to James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.

Harden, an MVP candidate this year, has arguably had to keep the Rockets in playoff contention by himself considering the amount of injuries his squad has suffered over the course of the season. While he’s put on some great performances, some fans and analysts believe his scoring ability to be highly overrated, as his average free throw attempts make up roughly half of the points he tallies per game.

He’s also known for trying to plow through opposing players mainly to try drawing contact, throwing his head back in a violent manner in an attempt to sell said contact to refs. The fact that he looks to get “bailed out” by referees so often is certainly something that can irritate other players (and fans).

Paul is known to be very outspoken on the court, constantly looking to get into the referee’s ear during games to hopefully sway him (or her) toward seeing the game as Paul sees it. A minor nuisance, but a nuisance nonetheless.

Another Curry-invovled incident occured during the Warriors’ routing of the Atlanta Hawks last Wednesday, in which Curry was caught mouthing off at Hawks backup point guard, Dennis Schroder.

Schröder, 21, had come under scrutiny for his lack of maturity during workouts leading to the draft and at certain times on the court, so what exactly caused Curry to inflame remains in question.

So don’t let his boyish looks and slim 190 frame fool you — Curry is ultra-competitive and has proven he won’t stand for any disrespect on the court (or on the field). When Curry gets heated emotionally, he usually ends up heating up on the court as well, making teams suffer through a sequence of superstar plays and a barrage of unbelievable shots.

A very rare and intriguing chain of events, but it’s nice to see that Curry has a certain edge to him, that he’s not just the nice guy. It’s easy to like Curry for who he is, what he stands for, but everybody loves a villain — even if it was just for a couple of days.

Next: Draymond Green Revolutionizing the NBA