Why Mo Buckets Thinks Steph Deserves All the Praise She Gets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Marreese Speights became a beloved Bay Area cult hero affectionately known as “Mo Buckets” in the early stages of the Warriors dynasty. The big man was a key figure in Golden State during Steph Curry’s rise to stardom, spending three seasons as teammates from 2013 to 2016.
during an interview With NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole on “Dubs Talk,” Speights offered a unique perspective on the work Curry does behind the scenes and why the two-time NBA MVP deserves all the accolades and accolades he’s received during his historic career.
“What I always tell people about Steph is that I respect him a lot because we’re the same age, so we always outplayed each other in AAU…so we played in the same tournaments,” Speights explained. to Poole. “Me being on his team, seeing how he worked every day, how he behaved, how he ran his business when he had all these different things when it came to interviews at 4 a.m., commercials at 3 a.m. or 5 a.m. and he still comes to practice and arrives early handling his affairs and putting in the hours.
“That makes me respect him more as a person than as a basketball player or anything else. Everything he receives… all the praise he is receiving, he deserves it because he worked hard. He sacrificed a lot. That’s why I appreciate him and I always appreciate him.” I like to see it.”
Individual praise from Curry include two NBA MVP awards, two scoring titles, nine All-NBA selections, 10 All-Star nods, one All-Rookie selection, one All-Star MVP and one Finals MVP. The superstar point guard also has four NBA titles to his name, the first of which he won with Speights as a teammate during the 2014-15 season.
Poole then asked Speights how he would describe Steph’s work ethic, and the NBA veteran praised the superstar point guard’s ability to adapt to his body’s needs as his 15-year NBA career progressed.
“Top-notch,” Speights told Poole. “That guy works hard, man. “At this age, 36. Still 36, still trying hard, still looking young and his body is still getting bigger, he’s filling out more to make sure he’s getting stronger ( so ) can withstand those hits. That’s what I really appreciate and know he’s working on. He’s a great player, so he has to work because guys still attack him.”
Speights appeared in 227 regular season games and 41 playoff appearances for the Warriors, providing an electric spark off the bench that endeared him to the hearts of Bay Area basketball fans. The 12-year NBA veteran was also a key player in Golden State’s historic 73-win season in 2016.