Steph Curry to Warriors before Game 7: Don’t get on bus if not committed

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Not all superstar athletes are vocal locker-room leaders. But when they do give a passionate sermon, teammates listen.

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The latest case in point came on the weekend when Steph Curry “f***ing got everybody locked in” in an epic speech the day before Sunday’s 120-100 Game 7 win over the scrappy Sacramento Kings, to finally win their Round 1 NBA playoff series.

According to TheAthletic.com, Curry was steaming mad following the Kings’ 118-99 Game 6 win over Golden State on Friday night in Sacramento.

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Curry couldn’t sleep that night. Neither could all-star teammate Draymond Green. They agreed a few teammates seemed to be bummed about playing time in the series, and maybe weren’t all in.

Someone locker-room leader needed to burn teammates’ ear hair before Saturday’s film session, to ensure all were putting the team first, and focused on the vital task at hand.

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Green texted he’d do it. Curry, though, cut him off.

No, HE would do it.

Which was just fine with Green.

Green told TheAthletic.com following Sunday’s win that Curry said the following in his epic motivational speech Saturday afternoon:

“If you’re getting on this bus, you’re making a commitment to this team. No matter if you play zero minutes or 40 minutes, you’re making a commitment to do whatever it takes. Prepare your mind and body for this opportunity we have. We got embarrassed the other night and we never f***ing go out like that … You’re in this space where you gon’ fold up, or you gon’ rise up.”

In other words, get busy playing together as a team, or get busy vacationing.

“Once he did that,” Green said Sunday of Curry’s speech, “you have no choice but to rise up. He f***ing got everybody locked in.”

Added teammate Gary Payton II: “When he speaks, everybody better listen. Because he’s usually quiet and lets his game speak for itself. But he had to say what he had to say, because he knew what type of vibe it was … He led and we followed.”

All Curry did, by way of leading, was light it up like no player ever before in a Game 7 in NBA playoff history — scoring 50 points, most from shots taken inside the arc, to pace the Warriors to their 20-point victory.

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@JohnKryk