Warriors forward Lindy Waters III knew superstar teammate Steph Curry was the real deal pretty quickly into their first training camp together.
Waters, like most, had noticed the 16-year NBA veteran’s work ethic from afar. But he told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole on the latest "Dubs Talk" about his first impression of Curry as a new teammate.
“My first interaction with Steph … I think it was maybe a couple days before we had went to training camp,” Waters told Poole. “He had come in and had his hoodie on and was real quiet, kind of just slid through the locker room.
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“I said what’s up to him, dapped him up and I kind of just sat from afar and paid attention to how he goes through his process, how he takes care of his body [and] how he works on the court and has these collaborative efforts with different coaches to figure out how he can perform the best.”
Waters, 27, grew up watching Curry, 36, dominate and transform the league.
And like sharpshooting Warriors teammate Buddy Hield, who attended Oklahoma, Waters presumably witnessed Curry’s greatness in the Sooner State as a local, student at Oklahoma State and as a forward on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Joining forces with Curry is a surreal experience for most of the four-time NBA champion’s teammates. Waters’ case appears no different, as he just soaked in the moment.
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“It was like a learning curve for me, just to watch him,” Waters said. “Obviously, you get to see all of his highlights and stuff, but to be in the locker room with him and to talk with him and watch how he carries himself as a man, it’s amazing.”
“Not long at all,” Waters said when asked how long it took him to notice Curry’s work ethic. “Maybe the first day or two, I was like, ‘OK, everything people say about him is true, and he is a workhorse, and he’s really about this.’ “
Waters had admired Curry from a distance throughout his basketball career. However, watching the “Chef” cook as a teammate as opposed to an opponent was quite the shift.
From Day 1 as teammates, Curry’s work ethic and demeanor caught Waters’ attention.