Macklin Celebrini Takes Steph Curry’s Advice to Heart as Sharks’ Rebuild Rolls On
When Steph Curry talks, people tend to listen. And that includes 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini - the San Jose Sharks' top overall pick and the centerpiece of their rebuild - who recently got some heartfelt advice from the Warriors legend on what it means to grow into a franchise cornerstone.
Curry, who knows a thing or two about turning a struggling team into a championship contender, shared some words of wisdom with Celebrini about the importance of patience and joy during the early stages of a rebuild. And for the young Sharks forward, those words landed with real weight.
“Something to take to heart for sure,” Celebrini said in a sit-down interview. “Something to listen to. I mean, he's one of the all-time greats.”
Curry’s message wasn’t just about on-ice or on-court performance - it was about mindset. About staying grounded when wins are hard to come by. About finding joy in the grind, even when the results don’t come overnight.
“Patience is the hard thing for a young guy coming into a tough situation,” Curry said. “Where your team hasn’t won in a long time, [and it’s] trying to figure out the right identity, the right combination of guys that could get to that next level, become a playoff team and take the necessary steps.”
That’s a scenario Curry knows intimately. He lived it during the early years of his NBA career, when Golden State was still searching for its identity. And it’s the exact reality Celebrini is walking into in San Jose - a proud franchise in the midst of a reset, trying to build something sustainable from the ground up.
“But don’t lose your joy through it all,” Curry added. “Because it’s tough in the beginning when all you want to do is win. It’s kind of out of your control, but if you can keep getting better through it…”
That’s the kind of perspective that resonates with a young player like Celebrini, who’s already showing signs of becoming San Jose’s next great leader. The Sharks made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for a reason - he’s got the skill, the drive, and now, the mentorship of a Bay Area icon who’s walked a similar path.
For Celebrini, it’s not just about what Curry has accomplished - it’s how he’s done it.
“I think it's the way he is as a person,” Celebrini said. “You ask anyone how well he treats people. For him being who he is and accomplishing all that he's done and just being a great person through it all, I think that's the most important thing.
"And as an athlete, just his work ethic and his drive, even now, when he's done all you can do in the game of basketball and he wants to just keep winning and keep driving the team.”
That blend of humility and hunger is exactly what the Sharks are hoping Celebrini can bring to their locker room. He’s already showing maturity beyond his years, and Curry’s message about staying joyful - even in the face of adversity - clearly struck a chord.
“Like anyone, you get frustrated,” Celebrini said. “The game's not perfect, and you go through hard times and there's ups and downs. But whenever I'm having fun and enjoying myself, that's usually when I'm playing my best.”
That’s a mindset that could serve him - and the Sharks - well in the years to come. San Jose may still be a few steps away from playoff contention, but with Celebrini leading the charge and drawing inspiration from one of the NBA’s all-time greats, the foundation is starting to take shape.
Curry’s journey from overlooked rookie to four-time NBA champion is proof that patience, joy, and relentless work can eventually pay off. And if Celebrini continues to embrace that same approach, the Sharks’ future might be a lot brighter than people think.