SAN FRANCISCO – Former NBA writer Peter Vecsey has seen it all.
He has seen Wilt Chamberlain’s mythical feats of athleticism, Magic Johnson’s showtime passing, Larry Bird’s otherworldly skillset, Michael Jordan’s clutchtime heroics and LeBron James’ all-around excellence during a print career that started in the late 1960s and formally ended in 2012 but unofficially continues on social media.
But seeing Steph Curry rain jump shots was so mesmerizing that the Warriors star had the elder statesman angling for an announcing job in the early 2010s when longtime local commentator Jim Barnett was considering retirement.
“I could spend the rest of my days watching Curry? I’d move out here in a second,” Vecsey told the Bay Area News Group in a recent phone interview.
Vecsey, 81, did not get the job, but his love of Curry’s game continues unabated.
He was devastated when Curry injured his hamstring in Game 1 of the Warriors’ series with the Timberwolves.
“It’s a damn shame, I (expletive) hate injuries, because you know, they just ruin everything,” Vecsey said. “Now we can’t watch Curry. Every day you watch Curry is a day in heaven.”
Vecsey admires more than just Curry’s shooting.
“Oh my God, what the (expletive), when you talk about his shooting, his passing, the way his dribbling is. I mean, God, even his turnovers are exciting,” Vecsey said. “No question he’s the best show in basketball, and has been for years.”
Curry’s all-time great ability to rain jumpers might captivate Vecsey, but the writer had mixed feelings about the superstar’s overall impact on the game.
Teams this season took an average of 37.6 3-pointers a game, the most ever, with stars unleashing long balls off the dribble regularly.
Take Anthony Edwards, who led the league in 3-pointers made (320) during the regular season despite being one of the greatest athletes the sport has ever seen.
His penchant for taking stepback triples over using his incredible hangtime to score around the rim has Vecsey befuddled.
“How can you put up with Edwards taking so many (3-point) shots when he can get any (inside) shot he wants?” Vecsey wondered, blaming the tendency on Minnesota coach Chris Finch.
But did Curry”‘ruin the game,” an accusation often leveled at the future Hall of Fame guard?
Hardly.
“I don’t blame him for (expletive),” Vecsey said.
Even though Vecsey now spends his days in upstate New York, the man is far from removed from the NBA. The longtime hoops journalist remains in touch with players, coaches and executives he once covered while watching the league on a nightly basis.
He might have put down the pen over a decade ago, but his biting wit and even sharper tongue that Vecsey honed in print and as a pundit in the 1990s are still present.
He might love Curry, but he does not share that same affection for the Warriors’ other two star players.
“He’s a great player, I hate him though,” Vecsey said of Jimmy Butler, citing how he has forced his way out of prior teams. “What he’s done in his career, guys like him and Harden, they go wherever they want.”
Draymond Green? Not exactly Vecsey’s favorite player to watch.
“Oh my God, I wonder what I would’ve done covering him,” Vecsey said. “Draymond and I, we would’ve had a problem. I would’ve killed him every day (in the paper).”
He did not spare the coaches in the league either – Vecsey is hardly Steve Kerr’s biggest fan – wondering aloud why, after losses, the league’s head coaches feel the need to say they need to watch film before diagnosing issues.
“Do you really have to go home and watch the tape to know you (expletive)-ed up,” Vecsey wondered rhetorically. “You don’t. You have 11 assistant coaches, listen to them.”
Vecsey still has plenty of opinions about the game, but has no intention of returning as a full-time contributor at his age.
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A scroll through his social media account shows that Vecsey is also an advocate for older players, including those from the American Basketball Association, which he covered as a youngster in New York.
If there were any man who could be excused for placing the stars of yesteryear – including former Oakland Oaks and Warriors star Rick Barry – on a pedestal, it would be Vecsey.
But Vecsey repeatedly expressed his admiration for the current crop of players, and said he is thoroughly enjoying the playoffs.
But he would be enjoying the playoffs just a little bit more if his favorite player was healthy.
“Curry is absolutely top tier in any generation,” Vecsey said. “You can compare him to anyone you want. He’s taken shooting to the outer limits, the international date line.”
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