For anyone who doesnt know....the OP is about 6'7'' and is filled with a lifetime of hate for small players not seeing the value of bigmen. Hes been frozen out with good post position too many times to rep the little guys.
That said....he has a point about people generally wanting those like them to root for. I watched in the early 90s a lot of kids who loved Muggsy Bogues for the same reason. He made it feel like they had a shot.
But....
Steph Curry isnt popular because hes small. Hes popular with people who dont even follow basketball. I know women in love with him and deeply envious of his family. He has to be the most likable bigtime star ive ever seen. Everyone else had something you could hate. Jordan was a dick. So was Bird. And Kobe. Lebron is a douche. Shaq was jealous and a bit of a clown. Duncan you cant really hate but hes not putting himself out there either. Just does his job the right way and makes no waves. Magic....magic personality wise was closest to Currys wholesome hard to hate personality. Maybe Steve Nash too? But Nash wasnt as in the spotlight. And he never actually won anything to put him out front of the sport.
Curry has the total package. Hes just a straight up....nice guy...always smiling....never a bad word for anyone...ALWAYS repping his teammates...beautiful family...even great commercials. Hes got his kids running around melting hearts on twitter.....a hot mom...a dad everyone is nostalgic about. Google his wifes name and see how women are in love with her. Everyone from grandmas to strippers love his wife. I read a porn star tweeting about how Kyrie ****ed up trying to make a ho with face tattoos into Ayesha Curry.
And all that isnt why hes so popular either.
Hes popular because hes arguably....the most spectacular player of all time. Hes not just on a whole other level excitement wise from Jordan, Magic, and so on. But hes right there is a reasonable selection for most exciting....captivating.....spectacular..."What the **** was that...." player in the history of the game.
This guy is coming down the court...hitting whole rosters with full speed inside out crossovers...into a behind the back....hopstep....fadeaway.....29 footer. Under pressure. Go watch some hall of famers career top ten plays. That guy is making like....3 plays a week as good as the nicest moves some legends ever made.
You can say in all honesty...without a speck of hyperbole...that he can stroll up and wet a 35 footer on such a regular basis....you arent surprised by it anymore. The best proof of how great he is really...is when he misses an absurd shot.
You watch some of the greats. Some of the real elite shooters. Say Reggie Miller. he jab steps a couple times and hoists up 28 footer that misses when the coach had a play setup....you can see Larry Brown and the bench like:
"Ooooooooooooh...we got a badass over here!"
Larry after the game is talking about how the ygotta "Play the right way" and get the right looks. Reggie has the green light.....but he needs to be reasonable.
Steph?
He will walk across half court like hes never played this sport before and doesnt know what a bad shot is..wave off the play....go one on one...or two...hoist up a 27 foot buuuuuuuuuuuuuushit ass shot that misses. Cut to the coach...other players?
They dont give a shit. Hes broken basketball. Hes beyond 80 years of history telling us what a bad shot is.