Golden State Warriors rookie Will Richard shared an interaction that took place between him and Stephen Curry, which helped the young star remain confident in the face of adversity.
After being drafted at the very backend of the 2025 NBA Draft with the 56th pick by the Memphis Grizzlies, Richard found himself being traded to the Warriors before playing in a single official game for the team that drafted him.
Stephen Curry Urged Will Richard To Accept His ‘Temporary’ Situation
Since other hyped-up rookies, such as Cooper Flagg, have received the majority of attention, it is no real surprise that Richard’s development and growth with the Warriors have gone unnoticed.
However, his recent success when his team needed it the most has forced many to acknowledge that the Warriors might still have a bright future.
Every talented young basketball prospect is most comfortable in a particular role or setting. Some are even used to having their high school or even college team’s offense revolve around their individual abilities.
Richard may have held an important role on his college roster. However, he found himself sidelined for the first game of the Warriors’ back-to-back matchups against the Phoenix Suns. This development had the potential to affect Richard’s confidence and even alter his career trajectory negatively if he allowed it to happen.
Although Richard likely wanted to be on the court, he revealed that accepting head coach Steve Kerr’s decision while keeping his head down and continuing to grow at his own pace is quite a challenging process.
The Warriors’ star then began to share details surrounding his interactions with veterans on the roster. At that time, Richard revealed that Curry humbled himself and overlooked his own greatness to help Richard maintain his own confidence.
“I didn’t take it to heart or anything. I just knew that I needed to be ready when my opportunity came back around…Yeah, I mean all the vets have done a great job of kinda taking me under their wing…”
Will Richard on being taken out of the rotation recently and Steph being by his side. Steph told him he had 8 DNPs his rookie year.
“I didn’t take it to heart or anything. I just knew that I needed to be ready when my opportunity came back around.” pic.twitter.com/xlI2OpSnud
— KNBR (@KNBR) December 21, 2025
Richard was then asked about the advice he had received from his seniors after receiving a DNP against the Suns, “They just told me it was a lot of ups and downs. Steph told me he had like eight straight DNPs during his rookie year. He was like Keep your head and keep working…When your time goes, just come back out and be ready.”
In an interesting turn of events, the Warriors lost their first matchup against the Suns but managed to win their second game, with Richard finally given some time on the court.
The Warriors’ rookie put up a solid 20 points and five rebounds, helping the Warriors win 119-116. As the Warriors are currently struggling to maintain a positive record, there is no getting around the fact that they needed to get a win against the Suns.
Richard did not let the frustration or disappointment he felt in the previous game affect his attitude. As a result, he likely realized that there is a hidden lesson behind the story that Curry told him.
