DubNation, let's think back to a time before Steph Curry was an MVP and before the Warriors had won three NBA titles in five seasons.
Think back to Oct. 12, 2014.
The Warriors were playing the Los Angeles Lakers in a preseason game at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
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Curry hadn't fully established himself as an all-time great. Kobe Bryant was in the twilight of his career having returned from a torn Achilles tendon.
In the third quarter, with the Warriors holding a commanding league in the exhibition game, Bryant picked Curry up full-court two possessions in a row in an attempt to bother the undersized point guard.
The second time it happened, Curry created space and nailed a step-back 3-pointer over Bryant.
In a recent interview with House of Highlight's founder Omar Raja, Curry described his mindset on that play.
"This is him, I think the year after his Achilles [tear] and he's trying to get his competitive fire back because he missed so much time. He started to pick me up full court two possessions in a row, so this is the second possession. So I took the challenge obviously. They let him foul and they didn't call that so I kinda had to work with that.
Golden State Warriors
"But I came down the court and he was trying to steal it, trying to be physical. I got him with a little half step to get a little bit of space and then just pulled it from deep and obviously it went in and then his smile afterward, the little ass tap.
"I tried not to have a reaction there because I was in the moment. But afterward, I was like 'Damn, that's pretty cool' because Kobe doesn't show that type of emotion."
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Little did Bryant, the Lakers and the rest of the NBA know what was about to happen. The Warriors went on to win 67 games that season and reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 40 years. Curry would be named NBA MVP and lead the Warriors past the Cleveland Cavaliers to win his first NBA title.