San Jose Mercury reporter Shayna Rubin published an article today sharing Podzemsky's story of growing up.
"I would have put him on the 'underrated' basketball tour," Curry said. "It's just that he didn't start fast enough. Podzemski's basketball career came a few years later than most NBA players. Podzemski's father, John Podemski, had dreamed of making his son a major league baseball player. The kid had it all: left pitcher, first baseman and outfielder, perfect swinging and talent from an early age. But when Wisconsin's winter forced kids indoors, Podemsky wanted to work muscles that baseball couldn't. So he picked up basketball and began to dominate the game in the amateur league, so much so that the audience asked John about his son playing in the AAU league. His answer was always "Baseball comes first." ”
But his son's attention is no longer on baseball.
On the bus returning from a baseball game at Vanderbilt University, Podemski, who was only 13 years old at the time, announced that he wanted to play basketball full-time. His father was heartbroken.
"I don't like it, baseball is so boring, and it's so easy," John remembers his son saying about baseball, "and I was like, 'It's so easy? What are you talking about? You've got talent.'" ’”
Podemsky didn't want to win easily.
"Of course he said that," Curry said, "and it shows some of his qualities." ”
Podemsky is following Curry's footsteps, and his locker is right next door to Curry. Before each game, often with a bag of popcorn in hand, Podemski sat on the bench and watched Curry's pregame warm-up, from the opening synchronous command with assistant coach Bruce Fraser to the final half-court shot.
"He's confident," said coach Steve Kerr, "and he knows he's great and I love it. ”
When the Warriors selected him with the 19th pick in the 2023 draft, Podzemski didn't see Curry, Klay Thompson, and key players like Chris Paul and Moses Moody as a threat. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to learn from Xi best. Many of the young players in this dynastic Warriors had that idea, but Podemski quickly settled in.
From the start of summer preseason training camp, the Warriors' veterans have taken notice of the rookie's confidence, calling him the highlight of the training camp, the game's student and a troublemaker. Thompson praised him as "dramatic" for his sense of responsibility for Friday's loss to the Miami Heat. Podzemski takes his role as an energizer for the team very seriously.
The rookie wasn't in the rotation at the start of the season, but his teammates and family weren't surprised because he worked hard to fit into the team. This team that needs young energy derives strength from his ability to read the game with agility and reflexes basketball skills, and he dares to create chances on his own.