SAN FRANCISCO –- Close friends are about to share a title.
Warriors point guard Steph Curry is the NBA’s reigning MVP. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton should claim that award in his league Saturday night.
Curry and Newton have owned the Bay Area this week, with Curry scoring 51 points on Wednesday, visiting the White House on Thursday and will play a marquee matchup versus Oklahoma City on Saturday at Oracle Arena.
Cam Newton has been visible around here since he strutted across SAP Center for NFL media day, the official opening of Super Bowl week. The often-polarizing figure has a uber-famous, vocal supporter in Curry, a North Carolina native and lifelong Panthers fan.
Curry told Yahoo! Sports that he first met Newton at the 2012 Panthers training camp. The pair quickly became friends, realizing they have quite a bit in common.
“I got to see how they watched film and how the communicate and how they see a play happen before it does,” Curry told Yahoo!’s Marc J. Spears. “There are a lot of similarities between the quarterback of a football team and quarterback of a basketball team, which is at the point guard position.”
Curry has been impressed with Newton’s development over the last few years and, as a fan, as enjoyed watching Newton’s ascent to stardom.
“Just to see him and his mindset this year especially,” Curry said, “where he’s taken his game and what he focuses on the team, and winning and having fun…I’d like to say I saw it when it was just getting started.”
Curry’s rise was similar, and the pair have a penchant for making dramatic plays that wow the crowd.
"Steph Curry is special," Newton said this week. "He does things you only see on video games. He is transcending the game upwardly. He's not only giving opportunities to people who can really shoot, but also to undersized guys. You've got to respect that."
Denver Broncos edge rusher Von Miller drew a comparison between Curry and Newton on Thursday, saying they have similar styles despite playing different sports.
They are, however, viewed through a different prism. Curry is universally adored, from the Bay Area across the world. Newton seems to be a source of controversy, and is often criticized for being a part athlete, part entertainer, and celebrating his exploits.
“Obviously there’s a lot of talk about race and just his uniqueness as a player,” Curry told Fox Sports this week. “And there’s so much scrutiny for the quarterback position in football in general. But the way he plays the game is so much fun to watch — he’s smiling, he’s joking, he’s laughing, he has a flair about him. And obviously when he’s dancing in the end zone and all that, he’s not the first person to do it, he won’t be the last person to do it.
“The unwarranted scrutiny, I don’t know really what the root of it is, but the fact that he continues to be himself despite whatever anybody might say, or any letter that a fan might write about why he’s dancing in the end zone, dabbing or whatever. He takes it well, and continues to be himself and just plays the game and has fun doing what he does. I try to keep that same mentality, regardless of if there’s praise or scrutiny.”
Curry’s been a little busy this work week and likely won’t connect with Newton before the Super Bowl, but he plans on being at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday to watch his buddy work and cheer his favorite football team.
“To see (the Panthers) back in the Super Bowl is a dream come true,” Curry told Yahoo!. “For it to be in Santa Clara, just 45 minutes from my house, I’m going to enjoy it for sure.”
