Warriors' Curry says 'work ethic is key to success'

Golden State Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry cheers with the crowd at a “Under Armour-Stephen Curry Live in Seoul’ event in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry said his relentless work ethic is the key to his success, during a visit to Korea, Thursday.

“Your work ethic is the first and the foremost key to your success,” he said. “I don’t know if I spend more time in the gym than other players, but I try to be efficient as possible.”

The Golden State Warriors player continued to cement himself as one of the best shooters in the NBA. He was voted the NBA’s regular season MVP twice in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and led his team to win the 2015 and 2017 NBA Finals.

The 29-year-old American is currently touring Asian countries at the invitation of athletics apparel brand Under Armour. He arrived in Korea Wednesday night along with his younger brother, Dallas Mavericks guard Seth.

Two thousand Korean fans packed Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on Thursday and watched the superstar shooter at a youth basketball clinic.

The NBA star also showed off his skills in a 10-minute-long mini-game. Featuring former Korean basketball players including Woo Ji-won, Joo Hee-jung and Lee Mi-sun as players, the Curry brothers took coaching roles for each side. Stephen was not included as a member, but he joined the match as a player when his team was losing. Despite his efforts, Stephen’s team lost to his brother’s team 25-28.

During the event, Curry also conducted a three-point shooting contest for charity and donated 20 million won ($18,000) to the Seoul Welfare Foundation.

“It was amazing to be here in Seoul and to see the fans,” Curry said. “We felt lots of energy in this building and hopefully everybody here enjoyed it. This is a day we’ll never forget.”

Though the time was short, Curry said it was fun to teach young players here. When asked for tips for young basketball players here, he said, “Just believe in yourself.”

Though he was fresh from his second NBA Finals win, Curry said he still wants to have more wins and that is the underlying reason that keeps him practicing.

“You want to win more and that’s the whole reason why we work hard,” he said. “We know how hard it is to win the championship. But you need to enjoy the process and hopefully it works out.”

After completing his three-day visit to Korea, Curry is scheduled to return to the United States on Friday.

NBA star player Stephen Curry, right, and his brother Seth, left, gesture during an event at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap