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At any given time during an NBA season, there are roughly 450 active players since each team can hold a maximum of 15 players on its roster. From that total number, anywhere from 24 to 40 players can be considered as "stars" based on the annual All-Star roster and their substantial production.
Factor in the young, talented prospects that enter the league every year through the NBA Draft, and it's safe to say that roster spots can be hard to come by. The fact is, unless you're an indispensable player like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama, you'll always be scrapping and clawing for a seat at the table, which is precisely what 12-year veteran Seth Curry has grown accustomed to doing.
The son of former Sixth Man of the Year Dell Curry and the younger brother of Golden State Warriors megastar Steph, Seth's NBA journey has been different from his family members. A 6'1" guard who starred for four years at Duke, many didn't think he would last in the big league due to his limited skill set outside of perimeter shooting.
Yet, Seth has not just survived in the NBA; he has thrived. And the secret to his doing so? Just being able to adapt to any team, its personnel, and any situation.
The ability to adapt
Despite his pedigree and impressive college numbers, Seth knew that an NBA spot wasn't guaranteed. Although he was lethal from long range, his ball-handling and playmaking skills left a lot to be desired. NBA teams recognized this, which was a significant reason why Curry went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft.
However, Seth stuck to the grind and eventually earned a rotation spot with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2016-17 season. He averaged 12.8 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc that season, finally proving to everyone that he belonged in the big league.
Seth, though, stressed that while elite hoop skills are paramount to playing in the NBA, they're not the end-all, be-all.
"I think one of the biggest things is just being able to adapt. Trying to find your niche in the league, man. Especially just trying to find your role on the team," Seth explained.
"If you're not going to be a star player, you got to get the stars to like you, and you got to be able to play with them," he emphasized.
It meant sharpening his three-point shooting proficiency to the point that superstars like Damian Lillard and Joel Embiid trusted him enough to send the rock his way if they got double-teamed.
Find a way
Everyone who plays in the NBA has dreams of having the spotlight shine brightly on them. However, that almost never happens, as it is typically reserved for the max players and household names, something that Seth came to terms with a long time ago. And so, he put his head down and did whatever the team needed to get wins.
"No matter what you complain about, when those dudes are making the max, five-year deals, they ain't going nowhere. So you got to fit in, and you got to adjust," Seth stated.
The younger Curry divulged that watching his father go about his 16-year career as an off-the-bench weapon gave him the blueprint on how to last long in the Association.
"I was able to watch my pops, first and foremost, do it for 16 years and never be a starter," he said. "I watched a lot of other role players just find it and figure it out."
It's always great to dream of being an NBA superstar, but one thing every player who enters the league must accept is that only a small percentage of the league's players get to have that role. And the sooner they embrace that, the better off they will be.
