"I definitely took pride in shutting that up"- Stephen Curry on disproving his doubters after Golden State Warriors' poor start to the 2020-21 NBA season 

Stephen Curry had a career-best season with the Golden State Warriors last campaign as he won his second scoring title, averaging 32 points per game. Not many expected him to be able to carry the load of leading a team single-handedly. However, he proved his doubters wrong and has claimed that he was proud of it.

Here's what Stephen Curry said regarding this in a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio:

"I mean, there was a moment at the beginning of last year, before the Portland game and the 62 [points], that I heard a lot of noise and I heard a lot of talk about who I wasn’t and we were going to get exposed and I was going to get exposed and all that type of stuff. I definitely took pride in shutting that up."

Stephen Curry played for the dominant Golden State Warriors team that made five straight NBA Finals appearances and won the title three times between 2015 and 2019. They had a team that boasted four All-Star caliber players in their ranks and some of the best veteran role players in the NBA.

Since Kevin Durant's departure in 2019, it hasn't been smooth sailing for the team. Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry's All-Star backcourt partner, has missed the last two straight seasons with injuries. Despite Thompson's absence, the Golden State Warriors were still pushing to make it to the playoffs last season. However, Curry did not have much support around him except for former DPOY Draymond Green.

As a result, the Warriors did not make it to the playoffs. Nonetheless, they put up a decent fight, giving the LA Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies a hard time in the play-in tournament.

Stephen Curry was heavily responsible for helping his team finish as the eighth seed in the Western Conference as he put up several 40-point and 50-point games. Curry also finished third in MVP voting. He proved to his doubters yet again that he can don the role of a leader and help his team win games single-handedly.

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Will Stephen Curry and Golden State Warriors end their playoff drought in the upcoming campaign?

The Golden State Warriors in action during an NBA game.

The Golden State Warriors are potentially facing another challenging year, where they could have to play the majority of the season without key players. That includes players like Klay Thompson, James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins.

Thompson is likely to return but would take until at least January to make it to the lineup, as per GM Bob Myers. The Warriors are unlikely to rush him back and want him to be fully fit for the latter stages of the tournament. Meanwhile, James Wiseman, the 2020 draft's #3 pick, is also expected to miss the initial stages of the 2021-22 NBA campaign as he continues to recover from right knee surgery.

Lastly, Andrew Wiggins has refused to get vaccinated, which could see him miss the side's home games. With three starting-caliber players likely to be sidelined for large swathes, Stephen Curry will once again have to carry most of the load for the majority of next season. That could make life difficult for the Golden State Warriors, and they could have to play in the play-in tournament once again.

The Warriors have had a decent offseason, though. They have added players like Andre Iguodala, Jonathan Kuminga and Otto Porter Jr., so the depth is looking better than it did last campaign. This could prove vital initially as well as in the latter stages. The depth they possess will also boost the chances of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors returning to the postseason.

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