New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce - Listen Now: Mind the Game - The Stephen Curry Interview

Episode Date: May 1, 2026

Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter to ever pick up a basketball, sits down with LeBron James and Steve Nash on Mind the Game for one of the most in-depth basketball conversations you'll hear all year. Steph gets into how he rewired his shooting mechanics early in his career, how Don Nelson thought the weight room had ruined his jumper, and the moment Trae Young made him realize just how much he'd changed the game. LeBron and Steph even break down Finals film together, which, yeah, is exactly as good as it sounds. Subscribe to Mind the Game wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To all the 92 percenters, we're dropping something in the feed today. We think you basketball fans are going to love. All right. If you haven't heard it yet, LeBron, James, and Steve Nash have an incredible podcast. That's right. It's called Mind the Game. And I'm not going to lie, it's a pretty next level. I would assume it would be unbelievable as I am a fan of both of their games.

Yeah, this is for students of the game, though. LeBron and Nash are legends. And on Mind the Game, they get into the X's. and O's and tactical breakdowns that really help you appreciate the game. Yeah, I mean, when Lumbra Jones is breaking down plays, you're talking strategy with Steve Nash, you're going to get deep into the brains of two actual basketball geniuses. So it's, I mean, it's pretty much a master class in basketball. And here's the thing.

They also talk about mindset, preparation, and the mental side of the game that applies to basketball, football, and your life. Exactly, whether you're a basketball fan or just someone who wants to understand what is like to compete at the highest level, this show has got something for you. So do yourself a favor. Go check out Mind the Game. You're going to learn something.

I guarantee it. All right. And here's Steve Nash to tell you a little bit more about the show. Hey, 92%ers, Steve Nash here. Here's a clip from one of our latest episodes to give you a taste of what LeBron and I get into. If you like what you hear, check out Mind the Game wherever you get your podcasts.

Or you can watch on YouTube or Prime Video. Going this way and one this way. Just a... Thank you for doing this It's our first official golf podcast Yeah they heard mind the game They thought the game was basketball today Was actually not

Mind the team I was watching the Bryson Deschambo Oh the break 50 I mean I knew you were good I was losing my mind I only watched half You matched him

I watched the whole thing I mean that's being kind As you could It was my first shot. I lost my mind, too. There's like a little small gallery behind. Oh, there was. That was following us.

And so I knew the whole concept. I knew it was Bryson's a week before the Rader Cup. I'm like, all right, it's dough time. And there's the best, I think best golf I've played in my life. And it's so funny, I was watching one of the holes. I don't know what hole it was. And you was like, I'm going to give it a little grunt. One of his drive said,

and he got him on the drive. And you can. And Bryson, obviously, this is what he does. Like, this, he's a, obviously, he's one of the best of the world. When they got up to the ball, he was like, I think that's your ball. He was like, oh, man, I out drove him. Like, it was crazy. He didn't want to give it to me.

I think one of the good parts, too, that I was watching, too, and you was, I think Bryson asked you a question like, who was your inspirations? Like, you know, obviously, you know, in the game that we all. Oh, yeah, yeah. You know, and you mentioned Steve and you mentioned Reggie, you know, and obviously Reggie makes so much sense and it's terrifying to competitors like myself and all the competition over the years. How did that, what made you kind of watch those guys from the beginning?

And it's funny that I'm sitting across and talking about the life. So that's, I mean, we all got history in the game playing against each other and the whole deal. But my rookie year, we played in a preseason game outside in Palm Springs. India Wells, Tennessee. Indian Wells. It was my first time I'm actually seeing him, you know, on the court and to the point of the inspiration. Super intimidated.

I still do some of your, when you're in the starting line or the National Anthemal the line. I just do like the little leg stuff. I still do it. I still do it. It was like, I was watching everything you did from across the court. But growing up, like, I knew I was a past first type of point guard.

Yeah. Like, my dad had to actually tell me. Bullshit. Nah. Call Dale Curry right now. He actually had to tell me to shoot more. He was like, no. Not in this house. Not in this house.

You ain't going to be that. But I always like just love the creativity being like I felt like we had similar statured where as a point guard being able to, you know, handle, being in the trees, getting the ball where you needed to. You saw angles that didn't even make sense. Your change of speed, you can control the tempo, got everybody involved. Like there was just something fun about that. That is a way that I.

wanted to play. Fast forward to Davidson, I was a two guard and had it kind of expand. I mean, I was, there was a video of me as a 10-year-old running around with a Reggie jersey just because, you know,

I just love his competitiveness and the way he moved off the ball. I didn't know like that would be a huge part of my game once I got to, like, how am I going to actually make it to the league type vibe? But that was, your style was like exact. I just tried to audit behind the back pass to this day. one-handed, left-handed, like all that type of stuff.

Just seeing the floor a little different. It felt like he was kind of the model for that. And what about your pops, too? I mean, obviously the inspiration that you saw every day, but, like, as your pops being a pro itself, anything like you took from his game, like, I mean, the quick, the quick release was crazy. Every video you see it had to sit in the corner,

like, one, like, one dribble, and then quick release. He had the high arc in release, too. Yeah. I couldn't get that. So it was like almost comparison. and contrast of I want to be a great shooter I want to have a quick release

but I also have to own my own form right can't really has to go in at the end of the day you're saying you gotta feel comfortable with what you're doing did you guys ever talk about it like quick release yeah we talked about that a lot

when I was in high school changing my form I used to do like the little slingshot situation and to the point of seeing when I watched myself on camera it's like that thing looked like it takes forever to get up there

but as you're a point it went in But as I got the varsity, I was like, you know, it's probably not going to let. That thing's getting swatted to the eighth row. And you was able to, you was able to dissect that? No, my dad. Your dad called it out as I was making that transition. I wasn't with it at first. Right, right.

I was, because I knew he was going to have to break down all the fundamentals of everything that I felt comfortable with to then master like a new form. It felt like too much. Yeah. It was like, I don't want to do extra credit on the home. I already know the formula. Like, you know, I got to recreate it. And obviously it worked.

But I feel like someone who love shooting, shot a million shots, always obsessed with it, watching you shoot. Like I think I have a bit of a classic shot. I get it to the clay, get into the pocket and shoot. What I think you brought to the game, and I love for you to tell me I'm full of it, is you don't really stop. So like you talked about this shot as a kid.

To now it's the same shot but up here. Like I don't really feel like you stop. And if you do, it's like the split second. Only probably on like just standard catch and shoot. Yeah. To, I always tell people, like, I would teach Clay's form to anybody who say, hey, how do I shoot a basketball? I would, like, pull up a clip of a clay. Perfect.

And it's just, that's freaking perfect. 10 out of 10, every, no notes, right? But to your point, it helped me off the dribble because it's kind of, I'm going to call it unorthodox, but it is a one-piece shot that, no matter if you're really, all the way on balance or just off or if you got it on the right hand, left hand off the dribble, like whatever it is, I kind of can get it here quick enough to... Through the zone. And I still have all my power.

I don't lose anything through that, so that's helped me. Especially at 6-3, like, in the league, no matter who's in front of you, you really feel like I have a chance. As long as I get them to drop their hands a little bit, I can get it up there quick, and I don't want to have any waste of motion. Was that by design, or was that just happened? That's just how I shot it. There wasn't much thought to that part other than when I was.

I was in high school doing that transformation, I guess, you covered. Because I also feel like that is a part of your range. Is that you, like, instead of stopping and having to use all your legs, you're using it all in one motion. So, like, he just kept backing up. Where's this going? And it's like a flick. Like, I got a lot between you to see it this, you know, last summer.

First time I was joining forces. I got to see it after practice every day, just like a flick. It didn't matter. you know certain guys in our league or certain you know basketball players all over the world they have to get a certain pocket in order for them to even get to here or how it's like when he touched the ball by the time he does what he needs to here it doesn't matter where it's coming from it come from here quick quick quick like and that's a great question it's like did that did that did you learn that or it just kind of happened and it's like it's just it's kind of national just

And actually just happened. Yeah. Like there's always a reset, like summertime. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When you're working on mechanics, like my guy Brandon Payton, he'll talk about it. And if I was missed two or three in the run, you start looking, I'll know it's because I don't have the ball. Like if you're talking middle of the frame, I don't have it more middle to right. Like I'm more kind of doing that.

Yeah, yeah. That's just a, you get a little lazy, right? But I just have to call that out. But then once you get into, you know, the game and the flow, there's not much thought to it. But it's interesting because, like, you get a little bit. like necessities of mother of invention. You kind of invented something. Like you've gone on to be the greatest shooter of all time

by like a long margin. Like range, accuracy, dexterity, off the move, left, right, leaning in, leaning back. Like, you do it all. But, like, I don't know if you could do that, if you had picture perfect form. I'm not saying you don't, but you invented a way of going through the zone.

Like you said, off the dribble, like it's up. Yeah. And that gave you more range. And that gave you more dexterity. Like, by the way, it's not really recreatable. I'm not telling kids, hey, it's so, you know. So Bruce Frazier, we use you as an example a lot when I'm doing a breakdown drill. Like, I'll do, like, pregame stuff or after practice stuff where to the point of being able to get to my base, like, he'll bring you up as a demonstration of, like, you use, you had such a solid foundation where, you know.

Get your hips down. Get your hips down, get low, like you're feeling every part of you're. foot, your feet, and you're using all of that force to kind of get through. Pushing in the ground. That's a foundation you have to have to then build off of that, you know, creativity and that looseness up top. So that's like that's part of the natural progression of foundation to confidence to then, okay, now I can experiment a little bit.

So maybe it's not necessarily a thought. It's like you hammer that down so much. Then now I have the ability to say, okay, what's going to help me in a game? or if I need to stay out of the trees, I can get my range back. I got, that's in there because I have this. And if I always, I still have to go back to that will. We do, I start with the free-thal line

where you're doing like the spins. You got to be in balance. That's your world. Like, that's what I learned. But I also think one of the most impressive things, I know we're going to talk about a lot of things, but the most impressive thing is that you came in, you know, 6-2, whatever, and obviously super skinny.

super skinny. You know what I'm saying? Like, I remember, like super skating, fresh out of Davis and super skinny and obviously you know our league, you know, throughout the course of a season, flights and everything,

you know, can be taxing on your body. Yeah. I think one of the most impressive things that a lot of people don't talk about when it comes to you is that the weight and the strength that you've put on and still being able to shoot the ball in that capacity.

There's a lot of guys that we've seen come in at a certain weight or a certain, you know, body frame and they're told to put on weight or they're told to put on strengths and it can affect their shot. Yeah, yeah. You know, and it's actually,

there's no way it could have made it better, but shit, it seems like nothing ever changed. How was that, like, did that worry you in the beginning? Like, oh, shit, y'all tell me I got to get stronger. Funny stories. So, like, my rookie year in training camp, so I came in as, you know, a shooter in the draft. Don Nelson was my coach,

and going through training camp. Sorry, Summer League started. I think I probably shot like low 30s for three in summer league. And then you're coming into training camp, you know, a couple months later, like still working, getting through, trying to get comfortable with where shots are coming from. And Don Nelson, he went in the weight room because to your point, I came in 180 pounds maybe. They were trying to get me in the weight room doing all these lifts and stuff. I'm shooting, like, trash in training camp like the first week. He walked in there and cussed out everybody in the room.

It was like, you know, y'all are killing a shot. He's lifting too much weight. And to me, I didn't know that as a concept. Because, like, I always just wanted to get stronger. Like, most of it was just vanity. Like, hey, most of them. They look better in the jersey. All these mirrors are around here, y'all telling me I've got to look like this.

I mean, I'm trying to look like. I mean, I didn't think about it in terms of shot. I know that there are, there's a range of, like, body composition that matters to making sure everything moves right. If you're doing a big transformation, you can't change how your body moves. I never thought I could get to that point. But then when he caught it out, I was like, wait, are they really messing on my shot?

But that balance of being able to appropriately, like, get your body to move efficiently. Like, a lot of it, to me, is core strength. Like, if we're talking specifics, everything is about the foundation. Like, how does your body move through that range where you have, you know, complete control of, you know, your movement patterns? Not necessarily, like, brute strength, but efficient. I hope you guys enjoyed that.

Do you want to hear more? Remember to check out Mind the Game wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks to Jason and Travis for having us on the feed.