Steve Kerr dubs Steph Curry the ultimate 'lab' specimen for NBA athlete

When it comes to the NBA, there aren’t many players who can claim to be more famous than Steph Curry. It’s right to say that the Golden State Warriors guard is one of the faces of the NBA. He has a global fan base and is often credited for changing the game. Beyond his stardom, he is also known for his peak conditioning, something that Golden State coach Steve Kerr alluded to recently.

In the pregame interview ahead of the Hornets matchup, the former Bulls guard said:

"Literally, if you could sort of design a human being to be a professional athlete and just create that person in a lab, you'd end up with Steph Curry."

While many would argue players such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant are obviously more physically gifted than Steph Curry, Kerr does have a point. While Curry might not be a physical specimen who is highly explosive at the rim, his physicality is seen in other aspects of the game.

When it comes to modern day basketball, most of the shots are made from beyond the 3-point line. While catch-and-shoot players are the norm, someone with Steph Curry’s efficiency is hardly left open to make such shots.

He, however, creates such shots by continuously moving around the court, to a point where his defenders are left breathless and Curry gets an easy 3-pointer or a jumper.

Steve Kerr also spoke about how fans can relate to Curry because of his size:

“He’s got a worldwide fan base that I think connects with him because he is relatable. You know, they look at him and think, ‘Maybe I could do that,’ even though they can’t. There is no way they could. His magic is that he kind of looks like a normal person. ‘Maybe we could do that.’ No, you can’t.”

How does Steph Curry ensure consistent movement in a game?

Curry averages more than 2.5 miles a game whenever he plays his normal minutes. This is mostly because he has to keep moving to be open from being double and triple teamed. So, how does he do it? The answer to this is pretty simple: heart rate training.

As per ESPN, Steph Curry can “coax his heart rate below 80 during one 90-second timeout.”

Curry also does a drill called the “Full Court Star.” It is a timed drill that he does with trainer Brandon Payne. The Golden State guard races back and across the court. As he races up and down the court, he attempts 3s at both ends. He has to make eight of 10 3-point attempts for the drill to be successful.