Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was in the building for game one of the Houston Rockets' first-round series against the Golden State Warriors, there to show some support for the hometown team and get a look at some NBA playoff basketball.
The night didn't end with a win for Houston, as the Rockets came up short 85-95 to Golden State, starting their series off down 0-1 in the count. Yet, for Stroud, he ended the night on a good note by catching up with Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, someone he's built some solid familiarity with since even before his rookie year in the NFL.
There's tons of mutual love and respect between both: one's a top-level, rising star quarterback in the NFL, while the other is one of the greatest players in NBA history and the best three-point shooter of all time.
Following the events of the Rockets-Warriors contest, Stroud was asked about his relationship with Curry, and how it felt getting some recognition from the Golden State star after game one.
"My heart sunk. I was like, dang," Stroud said. "It's crazy, because I met Steph before my rookie season, before the draft, actually. I met him at a restaurant in LA, and I talked to him for like, over an hour. He was just giving me game... Just for him to take out that time, it meant a lot... For him to even recognize me or just to show love was amazing."
"It's crazy, to see in person just how good he is," Stroud continued. "It's another person that takes what the talent God has gave them, and really developed that through training, skill development, and things like that. Working on his body– I didn't know, he's swole... He's in the back-end of his career, but he's playing the best he ever has. So, it was just dope to just talk to him after the game... I'm definitely trying to get back in the building, for sure."
Curry, one of the most consistent, elite superstars in the NBA, has made sure to take the right steps to extend his career while playing at a top-tier level, while also being one of the league's most exemplary players across the past decade. Now at 37 years old, the 11-time All-Star is still leading his team to playoff victories, while showing some love to the Texans quarterback in the process.
Curry and the Warriors will file into the building once again for game two before heading back to Golden State, where then, perhaps Stroud can get another chance to link up with the future Hall of Famer.
