Stephen Curry is known as one of the nicest players in the National Basketball Association.
It’s clearly shown in the way he carries himself off of the basketball court, although he is often much more aggressive on the court and doesn’t back down even from larger opponents.
Curry is also known to pay tribute to former players of his favorite Golden State Warriors franchise.
Among them is a former center who helped to revitalize the team to little fanfare during his nine-year NBA career.
While his name is memorable, his game was forgettable to many.
That doesn’t mean he wasn’t an important cog of the Golden State team from 2006-2009 and beyond, however.
Not too long ago, Curry made the Latvian big man happy when he walked into the arena wearing his throwback jersey, in an unexpected gesture that is an absolute joy to watch.
The player in question is Andris Biedriņš, a number 11 overall pick in 2004 for the franchise.
Biedriņš manned the paint for Golden State, blocking plenty of shots while hauling down between 9.3 and 11.2 rebounds from 2006-2009.
The wiry-strong former number one pick helped lead Golden State to one of, if not the greatest and most electric upsets in NBA playoffs history, as the #8 seed Warriors beat the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks in six games.
Biedriņš started four of the six games, averaging 6.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and a block per game against the Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry led Mavericks.
Relieve the end of that series in the video below:
Stephen Curry Paid Tribute to an Unsung Golden State Hero
In 2019, Curry paid tribute to Biedriņš by repping his jersey on the way into Oracle Arena in the Bay Area.
STEPH REPPIN’ BEANS ??? pic.twitter.com/FKBGDg0GZG
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 3, 2019
This led to Biedriņš reacting wildly on social media.
While Biedriņš’ contributions had long been forgotten by many, here was the man who was and still is debatably the most famous athlete in the world (along with Tom Brady, Mike Tyson and others) keeping his memory alive.
Watch Biedriņš react in the video below.
Beans with the message to Steph. ??? #Legend pic.twitter.com/zGMGqMs6Tp
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) April 3, 2019
Biedriņš is far from a household name, but you can see from the video above that he is appreciative and caring as they get in the NBA.
His nine-year career gave the Warriors stability, shot-blocking, intangibles, rebounding and finishing ability around the rim.
He paved the way for future Golden State talents such as Andrew Bogut, Zaza Pachulia, and Kevon Looney; guys who excel by cleaning up the ‘garbage’ around the glass.
Solid rebounders and classic role players at the center position who may not be the best three-point shooters, but always find a way to contribute.
Stephen Curry, we salute you, and we’re excited to see what happens next in the 2022 NBA Finals.
