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Meet Steph Curry's younger bro!

By Bikash Mohapatra
May 11, 2016 11:47 IST

His brother, the awesome Steph Curry, has just been voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
'Just to see him, his path in the NBA and to take his game to where it is at the moment has been great.'
NBA star Seth Curry chats with Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com

IMAGE: Seth Curry conducts a clinic during his recent trip to India. Photograph: NBA.

Seth Adham Curry.

If you are not an ardent basketball fan, the name won't ring a bell. Never mind that the man is an NBA star.

Son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the younger brother of the Golden State Warriors' superstar Stephen Curry -- who is hailed for the way bastketball is being played these days -- Seth had everything going for him it seemed.

But it was anything but a smooth ride.

Several changes of teams affected his early career before he was snapped up by Vivek Ranadive's Sacramento Kings last July.

Though the Kings failed to make the playoffs, Seth impressed, seizing every opportunity he got.

The Kings offered him an extended contract, but he refused, opting to become a free agent to look for better opportunities to further his career.

The 25 year old opens up.

Let's start with recent reports about the Washington Wizards' interest in you. Any truth in these reports?

It's just a rumour.

Why become a free agent? At a time when you were being offered a renewed contract...

Just to live by myself, and to get into a better situation than with Sacramento, where it was just about a longer contract.

Last year was your first full season, despite you being around for a while. What was the experience like?

It was great. I think I established myself as a good player in the league and earned some respect from fellow players.

I definitely learned a lot as a player. There were some ups and downs for the team, but, overall, it was a great learning experience and sets me up well for the next season.

IMAGE: Seth Curry playing for the Sacramento Kings. Photograph: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

You have changed a lot of teams. Now you are ready for another. How difficult is it to keep swapping teams so frequently?

It's tough. Just when you seem to be getting into a comfortable routine, you have to move teams.

But it's been a good learning experience for me.

Going to so many different offices, so many different teams, work under so many coaches. I think it has gotten better for me with every new team, though it is tough.

Your father was a great player. How has he influenced you?

A lot...

Just to be able to grow up around NBA practices, NBA games, watching the players up close at a young age helped me a lot.

It made me fall in love with the game for the most part.

He also taught me the game, the fundamentals, how to be correct in the air. And that was a great advantage for me as a player.

IMAGE: Steph Curry, left, hugs younger brother Seth after a game. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

And your brother?

Just to be able to work out with him and have that competition at an early age is great.

Just to see him, his path in the NBA and to take his game to where it is at the moment has been great.

To be able to see someone go through the experience that I want to go through, before me, and get advice. He is been great for my career, and made it a little bit easier for me.

Steph won the NBA Championship, the Most Valuable Player award and was named in the All-Stars. Talk us through the mood in the family...

It's great for the family.

To go to the playoff rounds, see how much time it takes to get through the playoffs.

We had double celebrations and then we got back to work.

It was the off-season, but we didn't have too much time to take off.

We had to get back to practice, but it was a great time for the family and a lot of fun.

Steph has stuck to one team throughout his career. How do you put that into perspective?

When he got drafted he was in a team that believed in him from the beginning.

And he is a great player. When he was out on the court he proved himself right away.

I think that's the reason why he has stuck to the Golden State Warriors so far.

IMAGE: Seth Curry before a Sacramento Kings game. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Weren't you too on trial for the Warriors?

Yeah, when I was coming out of college.

I was injured, not 100 per cent and I didn't play for them.

When the Sacramento Kings signed you they said one of the reasons was your shooting ability, that you ensured the vital three-pointers. Tell us about that aspect of your game.

Nothing actually... I am a combo of a point guard and a shooting guard.

My strength as a player is my shooting ability, my versatility. I make a lot of three-pointers and like to bring that dimension of my game whenever possible.

I think I am an all-round player who can score in a lot of different ways, handle the ball and play defence as well.

I think that is something they have learned about me throughout this year and helped me get better and better.

The Kings haven't exactly done well in recent years...

We have a lot of talent. We definitely should have been better than where we are.

But they haven't been too good in the past either. Hopefully, they can turn it around going forward and eventually make the playoffs.

IMAGE: Seth Curry celebrates after scoring a basket. Photograph: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

You were part of the US team that won the Under-19 World Championships...

That was a lot of fun. We had a great time as a team.

Everybody, except for two or three players, went on to play in the NBA.

We were a much under-rated team with a lot to prove. And we did.

It is something that we will remember forever.

The United States has traditionally been a basketball superpower, but the competition has increased in recent years...

It's great for basketball.

It makes the World Cup and the Olympics a lot more fun to watch.

It only goes on to show that basketball is growing as a sport, and getting better. More kids are learning it and it's become more serious now.

It's great for the NBA, great for basketball, and it's fun to watch.

Bikash Mohapatra / Rediff.com

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