Wearing the number 30 jersey is a tribute to dad: Seth Curry

NBA star Seth Curry was in the city as part of the Mumbai leg of an NBA programme to introduce youngsters to the sport. He spoke to The Asian Age about basketball in India and more When Seth Curry stepped on to the court to play the final game at Sleep Train Arena for Sacramento Kings, he scored 20 points as Kings finished their season with 114-112 victory over Oklahoma City Thunder and bid goodbye to their home court. He signed his first guaranteed contract in the NBA with Sacramento Kings who offered him a two-year deal worth $2 million. Excerpts

What are your thoughts on Indian Basketball

The game is very young in the country but has lot of potential; there is lot of talent in the country. The more they teach the game, the more the love for the game grows.

When did you realise that you can make it to the professional level

It was always a dream to play at the highest level. When I got into college in freshman year, I realised that I can play in the NBA.

Do you feel the pressure of living up to the family legacy

There is no pressure, I have set goals for myself and I know I will accomplish it. I am working towards my goal so no pressure of what I should be doing.

There have been rumours about you signing for Cavaliers

I don’t know anything about it.

Are you looking to sign for a side winning championships

Winning is important, and I want to be in a situation where I would have a big impact on the team.

Your thoughts about your elder brother Stephen, and his game

He is definitely the best player in the NBA and can overshadow anybody’s game.

What kind of interaction do you have with your brother both on and off the court

It is all about basketball 24x7.

How difficult is it to play against your brother and his team

It is really difficult, they are a great team and they have beaten us four times, there was lot of family thing as we played against for the first time and it will be lot of fun going ahead.

What are your thoughts On Kobe Bryant’s retirement

One must credit Kobe to keep the NBA as it is; there is so much for younger players to learn. People loved him and what he did in his last game was special.

Did you get a chance to meet him and have a word with him

I met him couple of times throughout the season and pre season; he is friendlier this year than in the past.

Did you get a chance to see and play against Satnam Singh and Sim Bhullar

I haven’t seen Satnam yet, but I have seen Sim. He has talent, soft touch and a good hand.

What are your goals for the season

My goal is to make the playoffs, which is basketball at the highest level, then, I can measure myself as a player.

Tell us about number 30 jersey that you and your brother wear

Wearing the number 30 jersey is like paying tribute to our dad. He is the one who taught us the game and means a lot to us. He wore the jersey since his high school days and so Steph and I are wearing the same number jersey. It is like a family number.

Inspite of you getting offers to play abroad why did you continued to play in D league

It was a great chance to improve myself and display my game in front of a lot of people. I tried to dominate each and every game and tried to do better. I played lot of minutes since my dream was to play in NBA.

Did you manage to learn about Indian culture and taste Indian food

I didn’t learn much about culture but I liked the food, especially, butter chicken.