Marcus Thompson II says Steph Curry is the nicest player he’s covered

It’s not exactly a surprise that Stephen Curry is charming. The Golden State Warriors superstar has long been known for not only being nice and charismatic, but remaining humble and kind during his absurd rise to fame.

So while it isn’t surprising to hear those closer to Curry sing the praises of his kindness, it’s still makes us happy.

Writer Marcus Thompson II, who covered the Warriors’ beat for many years, before a recent shift to The Athletic, was asked in a recent mailbag who the nicest - and least nice - players were that he has covered.

While Thompson made the great point that he is not friends with these players, and they should not be judged merely by who they are at work, he also had plenty nice to say about Curry.

“Curry, because it’s been so long and he hasn’t changed much, probably takes the cake,” Thompson said. “He’s maintained despite his … miraculous rise. That’s impressive.”

The other players Thompson mentioned were Jamal Crawford (“[his] down-to-earthness is legendary”), Jason Richardson (“great despite all the losing”), Stephen Jackson (“they don’t make them more honest and loyal”), David Lee, Cliff Robinson, Speedy Claxton, Ronny Turiaf, C.J. Watson, and Zarko Cabarkapa.

On the other end of the spectrum, Thompson wasn’t willing to call anyone rude, but did mention the challenges of covering some players. “Monta Ellis was the most difficult player I have ever covered,” Thompson remarked. “He just had no give. He was so bitter about the organization, it infected all of his interactions.”

Thompson went on to describe Mike Dunleavy Jr. as “a tough nut to crack,” whose “expectations weighed on him.” He concluded that Andrew Bogut “was so irritable sometimes.”

While nothing Thompson said is all that shocking, it’s a lot of fun to hear it from someone who has been so close to the action for so long.