Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry talks Duke basketball memories, Coach K, Cooper Flagg

Posted by Admin October 3, 2024 Basketball

DURHAM — Mike Krzyzewski is watching practice, David Noel is stoking fires of a rivalry and Seth Curry feels right at home inside Duke basketball’s K Center.

“It’s kind of nostalgic,” said Curry, who is entering his 11th NBA season.

“Being back on campus, it’s great seeing some of the places I walked 12 years ago. It’s good to be back in this gym and get some work in.”

The 34-year-old Charlotte native is with the Charlotte Hornets as they go through their four-day NBA training camp at a place where Curry became an All-ACC guard for the Blue Devils from 2010-13.

Rocking royal blue and white shoes for Wednesday’s practice, a move he said was “definitely intentional,” Curry is on a roster that includes former Duke players Mark Williams and Harry Giles III.

In the opening minute of Curry’s interview with media members, former UNC basketball player David Noel, an assistant coach with the Greensboro Swarm, and Giles were walking out of the K Center.

Before they exited through the doors, Noel looked back and said, “Go Heels!”

Some things never change.

Coach K film sessions, lessons with Seth Curry

Seth Curry has long been known for his silky smooth jumper, which runs in the family as the son of Dell Curry and the younger brother of Stephen Curry.

Across 10 seasons with nine NBA teams, Seth is averaging 10.4 points while shooting 43.1% from 3-point range, which is the eighth-best career 3-point percentage in NBA history, four spots ahead of Steph.

Curry, who re-signed with Charlotte in mid-July, played eight games with the Hornets after being traded by Dallas, averaging 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists before missing the end of the season with a right ankle sprain.

But his journey toward longevity in the league started in Durham, where Curry became one of the Blue Devils’ all-time great shooters. All these years later, Coach K is still keeping an eye on one of his former players.

“It was cool having Coach in the gym. Anytime he’s there, you want to put on a show for him and represent Duke and this program well,” Curry said of the five-time national champion.

“It’s always good to see Coach, especially in this gym, where we spent a lot of time together. It’s special.”

After transferring from Liberty, Curry finished his Duke career with 1,394 points and played through a right-leg injury in his final year. The 6-foot-2 guard powered through the pain, averaging a team-high 17.5 points while shooting 43.8% from 3-point range.

“A lot of great memories from my time here. I love this place. It kind of molded me into who I am and put me on a great path for my basketball career and off the floor,” Curry said.

“Walking into some of the rooms, walking into the film room, I had a lot of good times in there and a lot of rough times with Coach getting on me in that film room. But it’s fun to come back.”

Curry didn’t want to dive into specifics of those film sessions, but he smiled as he reflected on those teaching moments with Krzyzewski.

“It’s plenty. Some I don’t want to share,” he said. “A lot of memories in there. Coach holding us accountable, praising us for good games This place molded me into who I am. The film room, the coaches teaching us, is one of those places.”

When asked about the lessons he learned during his time at Duke, Curry consistently mentioned how being with the Blue Devils shaped who he is today.

“The biggest thing was just patience. I had a lot of different roles here as a player, a lot of different teammates,” Curry said. “Just getting better every year, Coach pushing us to get better and me personally. That kind of set me on a great path to have the NBA career that I’ve had.”

Curry learned “how to approach things the right way” as a player at Duke, “how to give into the team, be selfish, but also selfish in the way you work.”

“Those are some of the values that Coach K instilled in our team and me personally that I took from Duke into my professional career,” Curry said. “It’s molded me well throughout the years.”

Seth Curry’s thoughts on Cooper Flagg, Duke basketball under Jon Scheyer

Because of his family and a career that requires constant travel, Curry hasn’t spent much time at Duke since he left campus in 2013.

But he’s “always watching from afar.” As for his thoughts on the current Blue Devils, led by third-year coach Jon Scheyer, Curry hopes to watch practice before heading back to Charlotte.

“I ain’t seen much of ‘em, honestly. Talking to the coaching staff and some of the people … everybody’s raving about the work they put in,” Curry said. “The group they got this year, it’s a lot of new guys, so I’m excited.”

Is Cooper Flagg the biggest story in basketball?

One of those “new guys” is Cooper Flagg, the headliner as Duke’s latest high-profile recruit and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

“I know he’s as talented as it gets. Obviously, one of the best recruits in the country,” Curry said of Flagg.

“I haven’t seen a lot of him. But just hearing about him from Steph (Curry) from USA Training Camp out in Vegas, and being here, I’m sure he’s gonna be a pleasure to watch for the short time that he’s here.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.