In life, every once in a blue moon, a person says out loud what the rest of us were thinking the whole time. Maybe, it is due to a lack of personal filter or perhaps, out of frustration. On Monday, after the end of the game, Toronto Raptors coach, Darko Rajakovic, had some choice words about the leader of the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry.
Steph Curry’s Storied Career
If you have been a fan of NBA basketball for any substantial period of time, then you understand the greatness of Steph Curry. The point guard with perhaps, the sweetest three-point shot in all of professional basketball is the son of Dell Curry. Steph didn’t piggyback off the name of his father. Instead, he carved out a career with his talent and work ethic alone.
After being drafted as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, the four-time NBA champion would make his presence felt in the league. Awards line his trophy case. Not only is Curry a two-time NBA scoring champion, but he is also a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), an NBA Finals MVP, an NBA All-Star Game MVP, and the inaugural NBA Western Conference Finals MVP.
If that was not enough, Curry has also been the NBA Clutch Player of the Year. Add that to such feats as being a ten-time NBA All-Star and a ten-time All-NBA selection (including on the First Team), you might be flirting with one of the greatest to have ever played the game.
Outside of the National Basketball Association, Steph has won two gold medals at the FIBA World Cup and a gold medal as a member of the US men’s national team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
With a resume like that, you may now understand the true greatness of the one and only Steph Curry.
Monday Night’s Game With The Toronto Raptors
The scoring extraordinaire ended Monday night’s game with 26 points. After sitting out the game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, Curry was given the all clear to play in the game against the Raptors despite some knee soreness.
This season for the Dubs has been anything but consistent when it comes to wins. The team entered Monday’s game with a subpar 19-19 record. Despite the much-needed theatrics that he brought to the court throughout the game, the Raptors ended up taking the hard-fought 104-101 win that night.
Losing to a team 9-31 this year is not what the NBA fan base has come to expect with the Golden State Warriors and their fearless leader, Steph Curry.
The NBA guard provided the consistency the team needed in the game, but it didn’t seem to be enough. Curry posted eight points to lead all scorers in the first quarter. Seven points were added by the guard in the second period including a three-pointer late in the half that kept the game within reach for the Warriors.
The third quarter seemed to be where the Golden State Warriors brought their best stretch to take the 78-75 lead. Curry’s third quarter contribution of six points and three assists seemed to do the trick until the fourth quarter reversed the trajectory of the game.
Chef Curry couldn’t bring the winning recipe to the court down the stretch. A monumental three-point miss with just 44.1 seconds remaining in the game let down Dubs fans everywhere. The Toronto Raptors out hustled and ended up taking away the win that night.
The Stuff Of Nightmares
The Toronto Raptors coach is no stranger to Steph Curry, being a coach in the NBA since 2014. Most certainly the Warriors great has given Rajakovic his share of nightmares over the years.
The year was 2016 and the Serbian was an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Curry and Golden State would reach the NBA Finals that year after staging a 3-1 comeback against the Thunder in one of the best series ever to be played in the NBA. A regular season game earlier that year may be the one that Coach Rajkovic will never be able to forget. One of the greatest games Curry has ever played was against Rajakovic and the Thunder on February 27, 2016.
Curry scored 46 points and dished out six assists in a 121-118 overtime win for the Warriors at Oklahoma City. Stories are told about the legend’s game winning three pointer that broke the internet.
Yes, he broke the internet.
That game was anything but ordinary for the Warriors guard. Going 12 of 16 from beyond the arc was legendary. Trailing by nine points with less than 3:40 remaining in the game, the game had seen its share of theatrics. Coach Kerr and Draymond Green had to be separated during a halftime locker-room fight. Curry rolled his ankle in the third quarter and a quick trip to the locker room resulted in him missing five minutes of action. But with 0.6 seconds left in OT, Curry hit the game winning shot from 37-feet to bring the victory to the Dubs. That shot will go down in folklore being the Curry three-pointer that broke the internet.
A night that will not be forgotten by Rajakovic.
But then he certainly will not forget when Curry and his team beat the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2022. Rajakovic sat on the sidelines as an assistant coach for that Grizzlies team. Seeing the “The Baby-Faced Assassin” at work can create nightmares for any player or coach.
But on January 13, 2025, the Toronto Raptors coach finally achieved a victory in a hard-fought game against probably one of the best to ever play the game.
The Toronto Raptors provided some unforgettable moments on Monday, but those highlights will not be seen in box scores.
The remarks made after the game will leave many scratching their heads. As Rajakovic spoke to the press, he stated
“Doing my best. Steph Curry is a play that it’s a privilege for all of us to live in an era and to work in this era in the NBA when he is playing. I just told my coaching staff I’ve been playing against him for a long, long time. I can’t wait for him to retire. I’m going to get drunk that night, I promise you that. I’m going to celebrate.”
-Darko Rajakovic, Head Coach for Toronto Raptors
Poor Sports Or In Good Fun
The comments seemed to be a mixed bag of sentiments rolled into one never-ending statement. Perhaps, praise was the intended outcome of this word salad. After all, for so many years, the NBA has been Steph Curry’s world and so many have been living in it.
On the other hand, promoting a drunken stupor at the future announcement of a Curry retirement may not the be the image that the NBA wants conveyed by one of the league’s coaches.
Another moment did not provide for the best optics on Monday. This time it was not at the hands of their head coach but by the personnel of the Toronto Raptors.
At Scotiabank Arena, during a break in the action, the Raptors hosted a contest involving a young fan. As the child stepped on the court, he was asked to remove the jersey he was wearing.
That jersey being a Steph Curry Warriors jersey. Perhaps, trying to achieve the perfect optics in their home arena, the kid was asked to put on a Raptors t-shirt.
Some might say that the gesture was all in good fun. Others might cite that jealousy was at the root of the request. Fans from all over the league seemed to come together on social media believing that this was an example of how to be a poor sport.
Pettiness should be left off the court and out of the sight of the fans. The Toronto Raptors should have been able to graciously celebrate the victory on Monday. Instead, they set an example of being a bad sport.
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