Forward Georges Niang is a newcomer to the Golden State Warriors after being signed in August 2026, but one thing is already apparent to the nine-season veteran just over a month into his time with Golden State.

That one thing is, naturally, star guard Steph Curry, and the kind of impact that Curry has on the floor. 

Curry is one of the best players of his generation and while his otherworldly shooting is the main reason why he has that reputation among his peers, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his skillset and why he's so effective on the floor. 

Over his nearly two decades of dominance in the NBA, Curry has built up such a legacy and a perception within the league that no matter who else is playing alongside him, he must be made the top priority for any opposing defense. 

Curry's Gravity

That means that Curry almost always warrants double teams from the defense and even the surrounding defenders have to keep eyes on the backs of their heads for what Curry might do, pulling their attention away from their assigned players and in the process opening up lanes and looks to Curry's teammates.

In basketball, that phenomenon is described as gravity, comparing the pull that Curry has on the court with the pull that planetary bodies in space have around them. It's the quality that stood out to Niang the most when he became Curry's teammate when he felt it for himself.

“His gravity in the way you talk about it when you're not on his team, and then when you see it when you're on his team is astronomical," Niang said (via Joseph Dycus). 

Seeing it As A Teammate

As Niagn touched on, it's one thing to see Curry's gravity work when you're an opposing player, but it's something else entirely when you feel it working in your favor as his teammate. 

Pairing Curry's gravity with his pace and motor has made him one of the most unstoppable players of the 21st century and it's that quality that lets Curry elevate the game of the teammates around him and make him a factory even when he's not the one with the ball.

Its effect is even more apparent looking at the current Warriors roster, which has less obvious talent around Curry than rosters of the past, so Curry's priority level goes up even more for opposing defenses. 

Still, the attention that Curry draws on the court makes the teammates around him better regardless of how they might perform on their own and in the wide array of reasons as to why Curry has been one of the most game-changing players of recent memory, his gravity may be one of the more underrated qualities.

Not to Niang, though.