In leadership class, we learn that there are many different ways to be a leader. For example, in sports, there’s the obvious leader, the coach, but then there’s also those few players who bring the team together and inspire them. Golden State Warriors’ point guard, Steph Curry has really shown that you don’t have to be a coach or the loudest player to be an important leader. The Warriors have many different examples of leaders on the team. However, Curry shows the importance of one of the more underrated parts of leadership, the behind the scenes moments.  

Curry’s leadership type is more of leading by example than fully taking charge. He puts in a great amount of work to get better on the court, and is very committed to his team and to winning. When he was asked about his style of leadership, he compares it to Michael Jordan’s, stating, “He [Michael Jordan] never asked anybody on his team or in the organization to do anything he wouldn’t do himself.” His head coach, Steve Kerr, even commented on Curry’s leadership. “It’s the perfect kind of leader,” he says, “someone who you feel comfortable with in the locker room but somebody who you can count on to take you where you need to go on the floor.” 

Curry is known to many basketball fans for his humility and commitment to his team. Former teammate, Marquese Criss, talked about his surprise at how humble Curry is, saying, “Somebody being so good, you expect them to have an ego, but he talks to everybody like they’re on the same level as him.” Curry is also not afraid to recruit amazing players, even if it hurts his chances of winning future MVP awards, as long as it benefits the team. 

Recently, Curry has had a chance to showcase his leadership and dedication to the Warriors when his teammate, Draymond Green, hit another teammate, Jordan Poole, during a training camp practice. This conflict could have quickly derailed the Warrior’s season, but as any true leader would do, Curry quickly stepped in, making sure that everyone was okay, creating boundaries, and establishing conversations that needed to happen at the moment. His focus was on protecting the team. He claimed that he was “trying to problem solve as quick as possible.”

Curry’s quiet leadership style has had a revolutionary effect on the Warriors as a whole. He was able to bring the team back from a two year losing streak and was a huge part of their recent NBA title win against the defensive powerhouse, the Boston Celtics. According to Kerr, “Without him, none of this happens.”