Stephen Curry hopes to visit PH again soon

LOS ANGELES—From the jampacked press conference to the grand reception he got during an exhibition at Mall of Asia Arena, Stephen Curry’s visit to Manila in September left an impression not just on his Filipino fans but also on the NBA’s reigning MVP himself.

The one-day visit to the basketball-crazy nation left an imprint on the Golden State Warriors guard he obliged the Inquirer asking for a message to his Filipino supporters.

More importantly, the NBA superstar hopes to return soon.

“Philippines, how you all doing?” Curry began in his video message.

“I miss you all. I had a great time out there last summer with Under Armour. I’m hoping to go back soon. Take care. Go Warriors.”

Of course, the visit won’t be happening anytime soon as Curry remains focused on leading the Warriors to a second straight NBA crown.

The reigning NBA champions zoomed to 33-2—the best 35-game start in history—after a 109-88 conquest of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Tuesday night with Curry firing 17 points.

Still nursing a leg injury, Curry was matched up against the Lakers’ Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson for most of the night. Clarkson scored six points more than Curry, but he could not stop the Warriors from picking up the victory.
“They’re just a great team,” said Clarkson. “They move the ball well.”

Curry injured his shin in the third quarter after a clash with Lakers center Roy Hibbert as he went for a layup, but the Warriors still built an unassailable 32-point bubble.

Klay Thompson tallied 36 points, including 22 in the first 11 minutes of the game for the Warriors, whose interim coach, Luke Walton, a former Laker, was making his return to the arena where he spent most of his playing career.

Walton, subbing for the ailing Steve Kerr, believes the squad is handling its success well.

“We focus on what we do well, what we need to improve on. We’re watching the (San Antonio) Spurs, Cleveland, Houston, Oklahoma City, the teams that are top of this league and focusing on what we have to do to beat them. We have to keep our focus on playing at a level that will allow us to win another championship.”