It’s normal to be starstruck by someone you’ve admired your entire life. But when that person now is your Warriors teammate, those interactions can be hard to get used to.
Golden State rookies Chance McMillian, 24, and Will Richard, 22, quickly learned that during Warriors Media Day last week, when an adorably relatable interaction with franchise superstar Steph Curry went viral on social media.
Even though McMillian and Richard were too shy to ask Curry for a photo right away, the two-time NBA MVP happily obliged after the pair of rookies, patiently waiting, were put on blast.
So, what do youngsters like McMillian and Richard do with a professional photo taken alongside their NBA idol?
“Sent it straight to my mom,” McMillian told The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, noting her immediately reply was one full of pride. “You know how moms get.”
The interaction with Curry immediately racked up millions of views online as a moment that Dub Nation and most NBA fans certainly understood.
“Literally everyone I know sent it back to me or said something to me about it,” McMillian told Friedell. “It was pretty funny.”
McMillian, an undrafted free agent, signed with the Warriors last Monday but was waived a few hours later. He’s expected to contribute for G League Santa Cruz Warriors this season, per Friedell, and the Media Day photo wil serve as a reminder of how far he has come.
“Last year, when I was at [Texas] Tech, I was trying to figure out ways how to move off the ball and get open and I pulled up some Steph clips,” McMillian told Friedell. “And now here I am, we’re in the same locker room. …
“I still am a big Steph fan. I grew up watching him. The Warriors have been my team since Andris Biedriņš, David Lee, those days. So it’s still like not real, but it’s starting to settle in.”
Richard, the Warriors’ No. 56 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, did something similar to McMillian with his Curry picture.
“I sent it to my parents,” Richard told Friedell. “Their first words was ‘We got to frame this.’ That was literally their first words.”
Also like McMillian, and many other NBA youngsters, Richard grew up idolizing Curry. And after signing a reported four-year, $8.69 million contract with Golden State, the two are set to be teammates for a while — or, however much longer Curry, 37, remains in the league.
“I grew up loving the Warriors,” Richard told Friedell. “Watching them, watching Steph. Loving him and Klay [Thompson] and Draymond [Green], and just seeing what they did here so being a part of it is a blessing. It’s a dream come true for me.”
Both Richard and McMillian told Friedell they’ll likely hang their photo with Curry in somewhere in their homes. The hilarious moment led to a cherished memento they’ll treasure throughout their lives and respective NBA careers — a reminder of where they started, and what they can achieve.
“[I’m going to] definitely have it somewhere in the house,” McMillian told Friedell. “But I’ll use it as constant motivation because this is the best shooter of all time. And I’m going to use it as motivation to work hard and get where he’s at. Because not everyone in the world has a vet that’s Steph Curry.”
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